Invictus
by fruor
Summary: Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.
1. Prologue

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

**Note:** Inspired by William Ernest Henley's **Invictus**. I'll put the poem in the end. And if my memory is functioning properly, **Invictus** means **Unconquerable**. Shounen-ai. SasuNaru. Enjoy.

* * *

**Prologue**

When Sakura came out of the forest, the first thing she saw was Uchiha Sasuke, standing on top of one of the statues at the Valley of the End. She paused, looking with a mix of worry, desperation and relief at him. It had been four years since she last saw the Uchiha and despite the fact that her childhood crush on him had long since developed into something completely platonic, she couldn't help but feel that jolt on her chest that made her breathing rapid and hard. She shook her head furiously and raced towards Sasuke. After all, her worrying was nothing compared to Naruto's. He was the one tracked the Uchiha down. He was the one who worked hard to find him. He was—

"Naruto?" Sakura's voice cracked through the silence, fear taking her mind. "NARUTO!"

Sasuke remained motionless. His eyes and concentration laid at the hitai-ate on his feet. His wounds were forgotten and whatever pain he has was now numb. With a shaking hand, he crouched down and took the metal band, fingering the symbol of Konoha carved on it.

"Sasuke? Sasuke! SASUKE!" The Uchiha turned his head to the voice. His vision was fuzzy. The pink hair and bright green eyes were the only things that made him recognize Sakura. As his eyes regained focus, he noticed the group of four Konoha shinobi emerging from the forest: ANBU.

"Sasuke, _where's Naruto_?" He felt a hesitating hand tap his chest. He looked at Sakura's eyes. How was he supposed to tell Sakura anything when he himself could not believe what happened?

Sakura noticed Sasuke's mouth open. She knew that those charcoal eyes, despite meeting her eyes, were seeing something completely different. What exactly had happened between Sasuke and Naruto?

As the ANBU approached the two of them, Sakura felt the air around her grow heavy and bland. Eyebrows furrowed in worry and heart pounding, she saw something she never expected in her whole life: Sasuke, eyes closed and lips sealed in a solemn frown, had admitted defeat in his silence.

* * *

Ah, a prologue with the two of my most hated characters in Naruto: Sakura (because she's an idiot for fighting such an important friend like Ino over Sasuke) and Sasuke (because he's a bastard). And I made a prologue! (gasp) 

BTW, it's SasuNaru so don't you go saying that it's going SasuSaku (I'd die). I happen to like LeeSaku so there's no chance of ever having any other pairing with Sakura other than Lee.

- - -

**INVICTUS**  
Out of the night that covers me,  
Black as the pit from pole to pole,  
I thank whatever gods may be  
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance  
I have not winced nor cried aloud,  
Under the bludgeonings of chance  
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears  
Looms but the horror of the shade,  
And yet the menace of the years  
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,  
How charged with punishments the scroll,  
I am the master of my fate:  
I am the captain of my soul.

- - -

Now, all of you be kind people and FEED ME reviews.


	2. I : Out of the Night

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

**Note:** SasuNaru. Swearing. An Uchiha that talks and replies in more than one word. The typical time skip.

* * *

**I. Out of the Night**

"He vanished."

Tsunade flinched, anger being kept at bay by her status and position. "That is not a valid answer, Uchiha." She said through clenched teeth. "I'm not playing with you here. I'm asking you…_WHERE THE HELL IS NARUTO_? What did you do to him!" her fist collided with the mahogany furnish of her desk. The pencil holder toppled to the ground but it was ignored.

Sasuke's eyes were at the hitai-ate on his lap. Not once had he let that forehead protector out of his grasp. When the ANBU squad neared him, he put up no protest but neither did he willingly follow the shinobi back to Konoha. His attention was on the hitai-ate and that alone. Sakura even offered to hold it for him but she received a glare equal of death when she dared to touch the thing.

"I know how terrible your past battle was, Sasuke. Naruto never spoke of it but…goddamnit…I saw how much you hurt him. You were genin back then…what about now? Now that you've grown stronger?" The Hokage demanded. Her eyes were becoming glassy with tears of worry but her duty overruled her emotions as of the moment. "_Uchiha_." She growled, "Even if you're the _last_ of you clan—"

"He _vanished_."

"Stop it with the _lies_, Uchiha!" Tsunade's voice whined with exhaustion, "Tell me, _how_ can Naruto just vanish? Into thin air? We are not magicians, Uchiha. We're shinobi!"

Sasuke clenched the hitai-ate. He jerked his head to the Hokage with a solid stare. "_He vanished_." Again, he repeated. "You." He brought the armor to his eyes, "_You_ didn't see what happened." He shook his head slowly. "One moment I was—we were—I—fighting him off and he was—fuck—_blocking_ my attacks—wasn't fighting _back_. The next moment he was _talking and laughing_. And then," The Uchiha fought the sudden gasp of breath but failed. "He started telling me to stay at Konoha because I was supposed to be there, that people need me, that they don't need him, that they don't want him. And that idiot _fucking_ smiled and said…" He looked at Tsunade's chocolate eyes, "…that I should wait for him. And when I turned to him – _damnit_ – there was this black – _black things_ that _grabbed_ him."

Tsunade bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she was going to believe this story or if it was one his lies. But she had never seen the Uchiha act like this.

"Don't you _fucking_ tell me what _you know_." Sasuke growled, eyes dangerously passing from the hitai-ate to Tsunade. "You…you didn't hear him…didn't hear him…_scream_. All that he left…" his grip tightened at the metal band. Sasuke swallowed hard, eyes closed tightly to hide whatever pool of emotions that could escape his defenses.

"I could still…hear him…"

"…hear him…"

"…_screaming_…."

- - -

Charcoal eyes melted into red. A kunai glistened with the waning moon, its sharpness heightened by the ominous look in those empty pools of black. Sasuke pressed his chest closer to the branch he was positioned upon, hiding with expert stealth in the shadows of the trees. Below him lay the unsuspecting group of travelers. The men have already retreated to their tents, leaving a lone and defenseless comrade sitting near the small flickering flame.

Sasuke took the kunai from his mouth, placing a firm grip on the hilt. He leapt to a lower branch, tossing the kunai to the darkness of the trees. The rustle was caught by the watchman's ears but the swoop of a bat – the one disturbed by Sasuke's kunai – saved the shinobi from suspicion. The Uchiha made one charka-silenced leap and landed behind one of the four tents. He pulled a mask to cover the lower part of his face and grabbed a vial from a pocket at his rear. Carefully, he lifted the cloth and wafted the contents of the vial into the tent. He sneaked behind the other tents and did the same. The only one left was the watchman.

"I know you're there. Whatever you're looking for is not in those tents." The watchman said out loud – too loud actually.

Sasuke smirked. He knew the watchman was calling for his comrades but as of the moment, they were all knocked out. They will only awaken after six hours. That idiot should've just kept silent and let him finish his job. Interference is not a good thing – especially against his sharingan.

He walked near towards the watchman, arms crossed and very intimidating. "Then, I suppose _you_ know where it is?" Sasuke nearly laughed at the panic that showed on the man's face.

The man shook his head. "No! It's just NOT INSIDE THOSE TENTS!" he hollered but no one could hear him, especially not his comrades. With fumbling fingers, he took out a dagger and pointed at Sasuke. "Don't you come near me?"

"The scroll?" Sasuke opened his palm towards the man but instead of talking, the man rushed at him, waving the dagger dangerously. In a split second, Sasuke took a couple of shuriken and threw it with precision – exactly at the man's throat. The last thing the watchman saw was the symbol of the Leaf carved on his attacker's forehead protector.

The Uchiha kicked away the corpse and inspected the man's clothes. In a hidden pocket, he found the scroll he was looking for and quickly put it in his pouch. He smirked. Mission accomplished.

He leaped into the air, landing on a high branch. He left the campsite without as much as a glance behind. The wind played with his hair as he traveled through the trees and out of the forest. He was nearing the Fire country…he was nearing the Valley of the End.

Sasuke stopped, staring at the start of the waterfall. He shook his head. Now was not the time to worry about such things. There was never such a time. He just…he just can't stop himself from…seeing the shadows…hearing Naruto scream. He knew his pace grew a couple of notches faster but he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from this place. It never held…good memories….

The forest was near. A few more feet and the view of those statues' heads would be gone from his sight…including that tousled blonde hair that was playing with the breeze.

Wait…

_Blonde hair_?

Sasuke jerked his head towards the statues. His eyes grew wide, nervous sweat trickling down from his temple. Was he dreaming? On top of one of the Hokage's statues was a blonde young man, his back facing Sasuke. The logical side of Sasuke's mind kept telling him that it was impossible – that he wasmistaken – that he's going crazy for putting up with Naruto's disappearance for five years…_five long years_. Another part of his mind was screaming for the blonde. Just to see that trademark foxy grin would be enough for him.

The blonde head glanced up. Slowly, he turned around. Dazzling blue eyes captured dark ones. Sasuke felt his heart stop beating. "Naruto?" he whispered, fear and despair ebbing his voice. The blonde grinned. The Uchiha's feet moved on its own,attracted to the blonde like metal to magnet. Pale hands stretched towards the fox but as his fingers touched the blonde's clothes, the solidity of the figure dissolved into transparency. Ringing in the Uchiha's ears was the sound of laughter, "Missed me?" came the whisper of the wind.

Sasuke looked around, eyes wary and nervous. His head dropped to his chest. With a shaking hand, he sifted his hair with his fingers. "I must be dreaming." He murmured to himself, trying to cover that heavy feeling in his chest with his smugness. He turned to Konoha's direction and jumped off the statue. With one last look at the statues, he set his way to Konoha.

- - -

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted cheerfully. She skipped towards the brunette, flashing her best smile possible. "You got back earlier than expected, Sasuke-kun. The mission must've gone smoothly. Did the knock-out gas I gave you help at all?" Sakura had become a very famous medic nin, rivaling even the skills of the Godaime. Though a jounin, she rarely takes missions nowadays because of her duties in the Shinobi hospital and the medic nin training center but she always offers Sasuke potions and concoctions that would be useful to his missions.

"Hn." Sasuke nodded, walking hurriedly towards the Hokage tower. "It helped well…though I had to get rid of one personally." He glanced at the Sakura. Then he stopped. "Sakura, how probable is it for a shinobi to hallucinate after killing?"

"Well, that's common, Sasuke-kun, especially to those who do it for the first time. The stress enters their nerves and messes with their brain waves due to post trauma effects. It could even lead to mental breakdowns and stand stills. That's why mental health and strength are important to shinobi. It's also the reason for putting ranks and mission levels."

"Hallucinations about…people they know?"

"On some cases, yes. Some would see their loved ones get killed by their own hands though that usually pertains to ANBU and hunter nins. It's usually a sign of killing addiction." The pink-haired girl smiled, happy that Sasuke finally made a decent conversation with her – or a decent conversation. Period.

Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he continued his way to the Hokage tower.

Sakura rushed to the brunette's side, keeping up with his long strides. Her face scrunched in worry. Sasuke never asks anything without a reason. Sasuke has never been bothered with the killings he makes either. "Is there something wrong, Sasuke-kun?" she grabbed the young man's arm. After all, she did inherit not only the medic skills of the Godaime but also the strength.

"No, it's nothing. You shouldn't think about it."

"But Sasuke-kun! I'm worried about you!" Sakura screamed, her voice whining in persuasion.

The Uchiha looked away from her and shook his head slightly, "I need to give my report to the Hokage. Let's talk about this later."

Green eyes narrowed in anger. "I _know_ there's something wrong, _Sasuke_!" Her tone grew dangerous, her grip getting tighter. "I thought we were finally _improving_! You _finally_ started a conversation with me! I thought you were getting out of that – _that depression_!"

"Well, you thought wrong." Sasuke hissed. His eyes were dulling into a deep shade of maroon.

Sakura's fingers uncurled from the Uchiha's arms, dropping uselessly at her side. She sighed. "I know it's hard for you, Sasuke-kun. We didn't see what happened to him but you can't keep going this way. He won't like it. Naruto won't be happy."

The Uchiha's eyes returned to a solid black. He clenched his teeth. He hated it when they talk like this. It was as though Naruto was dead but that blonde idiot would never die. He wouldn't tell Sasuke to wait for him if he had no plans of returning to Konoha. And Naruto – the Naruto he knew – never goes back on his word.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He sighed. "I saw him at the Valley of the End." He didn't wait for Sakura's reaction and leapt with shinobi grace to the rooftops and straight to the Hokage tower.

Sakura bit her lip. She didn't need to be told who that "him" was. Sasuke always thinks of Naruto. She noticed it the moment Naruto disappeared. She knew that the Uchiha tried to keep Naruto's memory in his mind, moving and living. The last time he stopped thinking of the blonde, he forgot about him – all because of Itachi.

The medic nin sighed, watching the Uchiha symbol on her friends back get smaller and smaller until she couldn't see it again. "I hope you're all right."

- - -

Sasuke dropped the scroll in Shizune's hands, turning quickly to the Hokage's office, but medic nin stopped her with a hand. The Uchiha let out a rough sigh. What was with medic nins and stopping him today?

"Don't go there, Sasuke. Tsunade-hime's talking to someone as of the moment. She doesn't want to be disturbed." Shizune smiled at the Uchiha. "Oh, and Hokage-sama wanted me to tell you that your report should be given to me." In an instant, an envelope was thrown into her arms, causing her to let the brunette go. From the corner of her eyes, she saw the Uchiha enter the hallway towards the Hokage's office. "Uchiha-san!"

- - -

Sasuke passed the hallway. He needed to get away from Konoha – from the Fire Country – for the meantime. He felt his sanity slip away at the sudden appearance and disappearance of that vulpine blonde. He didn't Sakura to worry about him either even though the girl meant good. He just needed to cool down and get his mind rid of things that it doesn't need. Then he'd be back to his normal brooding self.

But he needed Naruto.

His hands paused at the door handle. The two ANBU guards positioned at either side of the door turned their heads towards him. He glared at the two of them and twisted the door knob, pushing the door open. He definitely didn't need ANBU taking notice of him. With his head bowed down and eyes closed in irritation, he entered the office. After all, with his innumerable visits there, he's had the whole room memorized.

"Hokage-sama, I need a mission."

"Oh, Baa-chan went out to get something to drink."

"And who the hell are you to disrespect the Hokage like that?" Venom in his voice, he looked up, sharingan activated and hands ready to grab any weapon from the kunai holster at his hip. Shock grabbed him, sharingan dulling to its normal black. He felt like someone chunked a blunted kunai into his throat to stop him from breathing, to stop his heart from beating and giving life.

Blue eyes sparkled into a foxy smile. "Hi, Sasuke. You arrived later than I expected. Did the Valley of the End bother you that much?" Laughter similar to the one Sasuke heard in the Valley echoed through the Hokage office. There was something light and cheery in the air, something which Sasuke suspected to come from that vulpine young man sitting on the Hokage's chair.

Sasuke stood up straight, fists clenched tightly at his sides. His eyes narrowed in a dangerous stare. His rigid steps brought him in front of the blonde young man. All he wanted to do was—

* * *

The chapters won't be long, dears. I'll keep them short and simple with all love in the world…well, the SasuNaru love. Expect a lot of cliff-hangers though. I love torturing my readers. And look at that, I'm a busy person so the updates won't be that frequent. I'm currently working on the 3rd chapter though... 

So how do you like the story as of the moment? But then, nothing much has happened so you can't say anything about it yet. Review and make me one person happier in the world. Charity, dears.

And as for those two people who reviewed. Much love to you! **Nadramon** and **tishu**!


	3. II : Can't Breathe

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

**Note:** Sasuke and Naruto are around 20-21 years old. Do the age math for the rest XP Lengthened summary.

* * *

**II. Can't Breathe**

"OOOWWWWW!" Tanned hands grabbed blonde hair. A pout graced the lips of the blonde, eyes staring in anger and confusion towards Sasuke. "That _really_ hurt, Sasuke! You didn't have to punch me like that!"

"IDIOT!" Sasuke screamed with a voice he didn't expect to have. "What the heck was that!"

"That? What that? You mean the teasing or the one at the Valley of the End – but then, that should be teasing as well, right?" Naruto bit his lip, crossing his arms in what seemed to be deep thought. But Sasuke caught that smirk and shudder that most definitely ruins that molestation-prepared image. Ah, the lies – _half-truths_ Naruto gives to protect his pranks.

The blonde's eyes narrowed into an annoying grin, "Were you _honestly_ affected by that?"

Sasuke twitched but it was quickly covered up by his cool composure. "With your low class pranks? Who would be?" he smirked, putting his hand inside the pockets of his pants. He would never show Naruto how horrified he was being tricked like that…because it wasn't funny at all. He didn't know if he could still hold to his sanity if Naruto vanished from his sight once again.

"What the hell do you know about pranks! _You_ never had any successful pranks!" Naruto scowled, pointing a shaking finger towards the brunette. No one insults the prank genius.

"I don't lower myself to trickery."

"ARGH! MY PRANKS AREN'T LOW, MR. HIGH-AND-MIGHTY!" Naruto swung his foot towards the Uchiha but it was easily dodged.

Sasuke opened his mouth to throw another insulting comment towards the blonde but the sound of a door being kicked open stopped him. He turned to the right side of the room. There he saw, standing with a small tray in her hands, was the Godaime.

The Hokage put the tray on her table and looked at the Uchiha, an eyebrow raising in question. "Didn't I tell Shizune not to let anyone in my office?" she asked, her voice edged with danger.

Sasuke remained silent like a child that knows his mistake – except that he was armed with his trademark death glare.

"Oh, Sasuke came to ask for a mission." Naruto supplied easily, his anger towards the Uchiha forgotten.

"And you," Tsunade pointed at Naruto, "get out of my chair. It's the _Hokage's chair_ and as long as you aren't one, you can't sit there, gaki." She flicked at the blonde's forehead, which was, as of the moment, unprotected by his hitai-ate.

Naruto scrambled out of the chair, rubbing his forehead with a pout on his face. Absolutely adorable.

"Uchiha, we can discuss your mission requests later." Tsunade flapped a hand, waving the brunette away. "A certain Uzumaki and I need to talk first before you can take him away. Just wait a few hours. Obviously, Ichiraku would be his first destination."

"Hn." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and turned around, glimpsing that confused look the blonde gave to both him and the Hokage. He passed the ANBU guarding the Hokage's office and wondered why they never stopped him from entering the room. Was it possible that they didn't know Naruto was there? Was it _even_ possible for the blonde to be undetected by ANBU? But, as he exited the building, all questions about the ANBU and Naruto were gone.

- - -

Sakura paced back and forth in front of the counter of the Yamanaka flower shop. She was worried about Sasuke. She knew how much Naruto's disappearance had affected the Uchiha despite all the effort he put into hiding it. Not only that, she was the only Sasuke ever responded to since the incident – at least from their generation. Maybe it was because they were both Naruto's teammates or that Naruto had once shown affection towards her – she knew Naruto was the reason behind the sudden decrease of harshness she received from the Uchiha.

So, she took it as her obligation to make sure Sasuke remained in – as her medical studies say – functional condition.

Hallucinating about someone presumably dead was something that qualifies anyone for mental instability.

"You know, pacing around like that won't solve a thing you're worrying about." Ino smiled gently at her best friend. She was leaning on the counter, her chin resting on the palm of her right hand. "Sit down a bit and tell me about it. Maybe I could help." She took a plastic chair from the stack at the corner of the room, just behind the counter, and dragged it towards the pink-haired young lady.

Sakura sighed, sinking to the chair offered to her.

"It's Sasuke-kun, isn't it?"

The medic nin nodded.

"When _hasn't_ it been about him?" Ino chuckled lightly as she placed a chair across Sakura, sitting on it with crossed legs. "So? What happened? Had he returned with innumerable injuries again?"

"No, it's not that. Sasuke only got a retrieval mission this time." Sakura explained, eyes downcast, "And I gave him a knock-out gas so it would be easy for him to finish the mission."

Ino raised a brow and leaned forward, "Don't want him killing too much?"

Sakura nodded, "I know he's using missions to relieve his frustrations and anxieties. That's why he overloads himself." She shrugged, "Sure, he's a jounin and all – he could even be part of the ANBU if the Orochimaru incident never happened!" She threw her arms in the air, letting the backrest of her chair support her tired shoulders. "But he's just making himself worse."

Ino sighed, eyes full of worry – both for her friend and Sasuke. "Telling him that didn't work, now did it?"

Sakura shook her head, "The only one that _ever_ got through to him was Naruto." She said in a tone that was a bit too smug than she meant. "Even his death had this much change in him." Of course she noticed the changes. Being Sasuke's stalker once helped a lot.

"Death, hmm? If Sasuke-kun heard that, he'd walk out on us." The blonde said light-heartedly, attempting to lift the mood. "After all, death should never be confirmed until the body is found." Blue eyes met green one, "But no one ever found Naruto's body, right?" Her voice was slightly shaking.

Sakura remained silent.

It was a topic most of them avoided. Innumerable search parties from Konoha and its allies (mostly from Sand) had been dispatched to search for the said shinobi but all their efforts proved to be futile. There was no sign of the blonde anywhere. At first, they assumed that he was captured by Akatsuki or the Sound but Akatsuki themselves were looking for the jinchuuriki and Sound…Sound had nothing to do with the disappearance…as confirmed by Sasuke himself. In order to prevent Naruto from being labeled as a missing nin, Tsunade made his status MIA, missing-in-action, dead. There were a lot of protests from the council but her power as the Hokage prevailed in the end.

The medic nin stood up. She turned to Ino and smiled. "I should be going now. The training center won't be waiting for me. And there's no way I'd let myself get a reputation like Kakashi's." the two ladies laughed. "Well, thank you for listening to me…and making me talk." Again, laughter was exchanged between the two.

"Before you go, let me give you some flowers." Ino rushed out of the counter and quickly skimmed the numerous plants in their flower shop.

"Oh, you don't have to do that. Besides, I don't have my wallet with me."

"Nonsense! It's my treat!" The blonde flashed a friendly smile, "You give them to Sasuke-kun." She picked out three different kinds of flowers and a couple of leaves. "A couple or so of scarlet geraniums, a passion flower, some purple hyacinths and the leaves of an arbor vitae tree." She went to the counter and grabbed a plastic, some newspapers and a string. She arranged the plants into a bouquet and handed it to Sakura. "'_I trust you will find relief, through faith, in your sorrow; be assured of my unchanging friendship._'" She quoted, a big and proud smile shining on her face.

Sakura smiled, taking the bouquet and holding it close to her chest. "You know, Sasuke-kun might not necessarily know anything about flower language." She sneered, teasing her best friend.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Well, he better know it because it's the sweetest thing you could take into consideration when giving flowers." She raised her nose in the air, hands firmly placed at her hips.

Sakura and Ino looked at each other. Then they laughed.

- - -

True to Tsunade's predictions, the vulpine shinobi did _indeed_ go straight to Ichiraku, humming a tune to himself – still without his hitai-ate. He had performed a henge that turned him into a red-haired man dressed in the same clothes as he did a while ago – a long-sleeved black shirt over an orange vest and dark green cargo pants with the typical shinobi sandals in black. He also retained his eyes and skin color. Somehow, he had gotten rid of his whiskers though it looked like he used a different jutsu for that. Now, he looked like a normal citizen from any country. It must be Tsunade who suggested that he hide his identity before things are cleared up. After all, a presumably dead shinobi cannot suddenly appear out of nowhere in perfect physical condition and resume his duties as though nothing ever happened.

Of course, Sasuke was there to witness that. He waited for three hours outside the Hokage tower in a place too far for anyone in the tower to sense his charka (taking his chakra suppression into account) and near enough to see anyone exiting the building – in rain or shine…except that it was all "shine" while he was waiting…and not that bright a shine either (it was mid afternoon).

He followed the blonde diligently. He had wondered why his prey had not shown any signs of noticing him because at his distance, he was sure he would be found – considering the blonde's detecting skills the last time they met. He doubted that Naruto would let his skills dull and the Naruto he knew would definitely hone his abilities. If his prey had no problem with him playing predator, then he had no problem continuing.

Naruto had entered the ramen stand around five minutes ago. Sasuke had waited enough. He jumped off from his "stalking" place because being out in the open is not considered a "hiding" place. A while ago, while waiting for Naruto to get out of the tower, his patience seemed limitless. Funny how he couldn't wait for more than five minutes now.

Sasuke poked his head into Ichiraku. His eyes automatically scanned the stand for any suspicious characters (force of habit) until it settled contentedly on Naruto. Currently, the blonde (well, he's a redhead as of the moment) that caught his eyes was ordering enthusiastically with that higher-than-most-males-his-age voice. With silent footsteps and barely heard breathing, he made his way to Naruto in speed only jounin are capable of.

"Oh hello, Sasuke." Naruto exclaimed, not once turning his head towards Sasuke's direction. "Add two more bowls after that, jiji! One beef after the miso and then a prawn one for the third!" he pointed a finger towards the old man but it was Ayame, the owner's daughter who acknowledged his order. He turned to Sasuke and said, "Uhm, those orders are for me. You order if you want – and I'm not paying for your meal!"

Sasuke stared at the blonde. So his prey was _really_ playing prey like he was playing predator. He smirked. Just what he expected from Naruto – skills worthy of intriguing him…though he seemed to have achieved intriguing him about more than just skills. He sat at the empty stool beside Naruto, briefly speculating whether the fox reserved the seat for him or it was simply that way.

The first of the three was expertly tossed on of Naruto's counter: miso.

"Five years and you're still eating that junk?" Sasuke started with an insult that he was sure would rile up Naruto.

Naruto blew him a raspberry and grabbed the ceramic bowl, chopsticks ready in his hand. "Hey, I _haven't_ eaten in Ichiraku for five years!" He poked Sasuke's cheek the chopsticks, "AND DON'T YOU INSULT RAMEN THAT WAY!" His chopsticks made a straight dive into the broth and came out full of noodles, which was quickly shoved into his mouth.

"But that still doesn't mean that you never ate it in five years." Sasuke commented, snorting at the suggestion. "Knowing you, you'd never survive a day without ramen."

Again, the chopsticks – now wet with the broth and, needless to say, Naruto's saliva – were poked on the Uchiha's cheek. "Bastard! I _can_ survive without ramen for a day! I ALREADY DID!" The wooden utensil went into the ramen and was shoved into Naruto's mouth…yet again. "But still, it wasn't Ichiraku ramen!"

"And what's the difference?"

The poking ensued once more along with the ramen and mouth part. "ICHIRAKU RAMEN IS THE BEST!" Naruto slurped the soup away and grabbed the second bowl thrown his way: the beef one. "And it's human." He added almost inaudibly but the Uchiha heard well-enough though he gave little thought to it.

Sasuke wiped his cheek as he watched Naruto eat his ramen. The chopsticks trade route: Uchiha cheek – ramen – Uzumaki mouth. Would that consider as an indirect kiss? _Maybe I should let the chopsticks poke my mouth instead._ , Sasuke sealed his mouth tightly. Whatever was going on in his mind definitely won't benefit him in a symbiotic way…at least as long as his and Naruto's relationship was still undefined.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Naruto looked up (because Sasuke refused to turn his head towards the voice and away from Naruto) and beamed. His mouth ate the second bowl like a black hole. He stood up and waved his arm excitedly in the air, "SAKURA-CHAN!"

Sasuke resisted the urge to slap himself (or Naruto). When you're trying to hide your identity, you do not – repeated, _do not_ go around and greet people whom you're supposed to hide from.

The pink-haired girl came to a stop behind the Uchiha, looking at Naruto with confused eyes. "Uhm, excuse me? Do I know you?" she held a bouquet closer to her chest, adjusting the angle so that she could use one of her hands if needed.

"Oh? You don't remember me? That's so mean, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura's face scrunched in thought. She doesn't remember meeting a redhead with bright round eyes nor does she remember the voice. The eyes looked strangely familiar but nothing else. Well, there was only one place for someone to know her with she herself not knowing what the person looks like. "Shinobi hospital? Did we meet there by any chance?" she guessed. She noticed the lack of a hitai-ate and quickly regretted asking.

Naruto shook his head, pouting as he slurped away his shrimp ramen.

Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun." She offered the bouquet, "Here. Ino gave it to me. She told me I should give it to you." She smiled hesitantly.

Sasuke eyed the flowers. He was thankful they weren't roses but then, they weren't familiar ones. He figured that Ino probably conjured up some flower language thingy with this one. He analyzed the situation in his mind. Across him was a pouting Naruto and adjacent to him was a Sakura offering him flowers. He sighed and took the bouquet into his arms, raising an eyebrow at the passion flower.

"I trust you will find relief, through faith, in your sorrow; be assured of my unchanging friendship." Sakura's sweet voice was edged with worry. After all, the sign of Uchiha Sasuke within Ichiraku – the place he avoided since the incident – was a sure signal that says worry, worry, worry.

Naruto dropped his bowl loudly on the tabletop. He dug his hands into his pockets and out came a frog wallet that was his trademark. He took out some coins and let it drop noisily on the counter. "Thanks for the meal!" he smiled at Ayame who smiled back along with customary bow. He turned to Sasuke and Sakura, "Well, see ya!" he waved and skipped out of the stand in a carefree air.

Sasuke stood up and pushed the bouquet back to Sakura who looked at him, baffled.

"Sasuke-kun? Who was that? Is he a shinobi from another village?" Sakura asked. She really had no idea who that was but if he could make Sasuke act like this then he was worth knowing. Maybe he could stop Sasuke's hallucinations.

The Uchiha looked at Sakura and Naruto, who just went out of the ramen stand. He turned his head sharply towards Sakura, "That was—that was—" the image of an angry Hokage and an upset Uzumaki appeared on his mind "Just come with me." He said as he walked briskly past the customers and towards the redhead that just left. Sakura followed closely behind him.

- - -

It wasn't long before Sasuke caught up with Naruto. Apparently, the said shinobi wasn't running away. He was simply walking leisurely through the streets of Konoha. Sasuke landed abruptly in front of Naruto in attempt to surprise him…which he failed beautifully since the fox crouched down to pick up a coin he saw on the ground thus, was unable to see the Uchiha.

Sasuke grabbed the young man on the wrist and dragged him over the rooftops, towards the Uchiha compound. Naruto, being Naruto, was able to keep up with the pace despite the bother of Sasuke's grip on his wrists. And Naruto, being Naruto, was able to somehow tangle his legs with the Uchiha as they landed in front of his unit, sending both of them toppling on the ground – on top of each other – in a very yummy position.

All the while Sakura watched the two from behind as they bickered like long lost friends. She felt as sense of familiarity creep over her as she watched the scene with an eerie smile on her face. She was happy that Sasuke seemed better with the man-whose-name-she-does-not-know but the problem was…she just _doesn't know_ who that person is. After all, with Naruto away, she has to be the one to worry about the Uchiha – in her own way of course.

Sasuke stood up, dusting away whatever clung to his clothes and hair during his fall with Naruto – a part of him regretted not being on top but he shoved it away as he opened the door to his unit. He pushed Naruto inside, mumbling something about idiots and their idiosyncrasies. He went inside afterwards, leaving the door open for Sakura to come in and close.

At the sight of the _newly upholstered_ couches in the Uchiha living room, Naruto's face brightened. Sasuke, seeing the expression on his face, rushed to the sofa and sat down with his feet propped on the leather surface. "Don't you dare jump on any of the couches." He seethed, his eyes twitching at the vulpine young man who was _still_ ready to spring on the one Sasuke was on despite well, Sasuke sitting on it already. Maybe he really wanted it was _Sasuke_ he really wanted to jump upon….

Sakura laughed lightly. She walked past the two of them and sat on the one-person sofa place on the right side of the one Sasuke was sitting (protecting?) upon. It was amusing to see the two of them bicker like children even though they were – legally – adults already. She felt her chest grow heavy. It was so familiar it hurt. "Naruto…." She whispered.

"Finally! I thought you'd _never_ notice!" Naruto threw his arms in the air. He walked towards Sasuke's couch, kicking the other man's legs from the cushions and sitting down properly beside the Uchiha – well, proper for him with the light bouncing he was making.

Sakura looked at the redhead with the same confused eyes as before. No matter how much good he doing the Uchiha, she could not overlook the fact that he was acting like that towards Naruto's name. It sounded extremely annoying and overly disrespectful. She knew how many people hated Naruto – for reasons unknown to her but that never stopped her from standing up for the blonde – and if he was one of them, he would surely get a good beating from her.

Clenching her fists and forcing away all anger with a smile, she looked at the redhead and said, "Excuse me, but I seriously don't recognize you and if you have any whims over Naruto – his name even – I think that it would be wise for you to leave."

Naruto's eyes swirled with confusion. He shook his head and squinted his eyes at his former teammate.

"You're still in henge, dobe." Sasuke supplied helpfully though his voice was annoyed.

The fox snapped his fingers. "Ah, sou ka!" he laughed loudly, throwing his feet in the air. He stood up and beamed at Sakura. "Don't worry, Sakura-chan. There's no way I would have something against…" he made a series of seals and with one poof, he returned to his usual blonde hair. "…myself."

The medic nin's breathing grew rapid and abrupt. She put a hand over her mouth in shock. Tears were forming in her eyes as she shook her head in disbelief. "The whiskers…the scars…cheeks…." She mumbled.

"Dobe, the whisker marks!" Honestly, one day Uchiha Sasuke shall write create a guideline for idiots and their idiosyncrasies. Some times he would think that the blonde would've improved intellectually but a sudden stupid action would ruin his thoughts.

Naruto laughed once again. He snapped his fingers and the jutsu – if it ever was a jutsu – was dispelled. "See, Sakura-chan! It really is me!" he waved his hands enthusiastically but instead of getting happy welcome-homes, he was greeted only with tears.

Sakura couldn't help it. She was so happy and relieved that Naruto was alive that she burst into tears. After Sasuke (and probably Iruka), she was the one who was destroyed the most with Naruto's disappearance but she knew how to move on, she knew that sulking over him would do her no good; she knew that many people needed her skills so she pushed away the pain. She denied Naruto's death for a long time but facts held a solid argument.

"Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, what's the matter? Don't cry. Aren't you happy to see me?" Naruto crouched down, patting the young lady's shoulder in an attempt to comfort.

Sakura bawled and latch onto Naruto in a tight hug. "BAKA! I'm crying because I'm happy to see you!" she slammed a fist on the blonde's chest a bit too hard than she intended to. She smiled, both for Naruto and Sasuke's sanity. At least she confirmed that the Uchiha didn't really have hallucinations – not unless she was having one as well and exact hallucinations could not be considered as one.

Naruto coughed, having the wind knocked-out from him. "Ehehehe, Sakura-chan. You're still as strong as ever."

The medic nin shook her head, "You're such an idiot, Naruto."

- - -

It took around an hour for Sakura to calm down: 30 minutes to stop the tears and another 30 to catch her breathing and stop the shock. As of the moment, Sakura was supplying Naruto with all the information he wanted…like what the rankings of his friends and the situation of Konoha.

Sasuke had left the living room when Sakura and Naruto started chatting. Not only does he want nothing to do with what seemed like gossip, his jealousy would not benefit that reunion. He knew that Sakura no longer sported that annoying crush towards him (he was thankful for that) but what he didn't know was if Naruto still had a liking towards Sakura. Naruto never asked _him_ about Konoha or any of their comrades but then…it's not as if he would answer and most likely he couldn't. He was never a fan of gossip and the only person who could blab incessantly in front of him would be Naruto himself so he was almost as clueless as Naruto.

He could still hear Sakura's sweet voice from the kitchen and Naruto's enthusiastic reactions.

"Oh, so _all_ of you are jounin already?"

"No, not all of us. Hinata and Ino are still chuunin. I don't think Hinata has any plans becoming a jounin but Ino would be taking the test next year." Sakura said animatedly, "Neji and Shino are in ANBU though and Tenten, I think, wanted to get into ANBU but she was denied."

Naruto pouted, "So then, I'm the only genin from our generation." He ruffled his hair furiously and then sighed. "But what about you, Sakura-chan? You're a medic nin, right? Is your training with Tsunade-baachan finished already? And what about Sasuke? Knowing him, he'd die to get in ANBU."

Sakura laughed lightly, flapping a hand, "Not so many questions at one go, Naruto. You could always catch up slowly. Anyway, yes, I'm still a medic nin. I'm helping with the medic nin training center. Tsunade-sama set it up to decrease the morality rate of our missions. And Sasuke-kun," she looked behind Naruto, towards the kitchen door, where she glimpsed the Uchiha's raven hair, "He's not allowed into ANBU."

"Oh. Because of the Orochimaru thing, right?"

"Yes. He still has the cursed seal so the council didn't approve." Sakura nodded, sighing sadly. "But enough about us, Naruto. What about you? What _happened_ to you? Tsunade-sama had the _whole world_ looking for you!"

Sasuke jerked his head towards the medic nin. He wanted to know this as well. He went to the open door and leaned on the frames, arms crossed with impatience.

Naruto bit his lip. For a moment he was silent and lost in thought. Then, as Sakura touched his shoulder, he looked up, smiling brightly, "Well, I wasn't really in any of the countries so there's no chance of ever finding me." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head in nervousness.

Sakura frowned. She knew that reaction. She knew that Naruto didn't want to talk about it. But she wanted – _needed_ – to know oh-so-much. She was hurt by the disappearance. Sasuke was destroyed. Nonetheless, she was a woman and a woman knows when not to pursue issues further.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."

The pink-haired young woman shook her head, tapping the blonde's shoulder lightly. "It's okay, Naruto." She smiled softly. She glanced at the wall clock and stood up, "Anyway, it's late. I should be going now." She hugged the blonde one last time, squeezing to make sure he was real. "I'll come by tomorrow. You'll be staying with Sasuke for the night?"

Naruto shrugged, "I don't really know. Tsunade-baachan told me my apartment had been sold so I guess I have no choice." He sheepishly turned towards Sasuke, a pleading look in his eyes.

"I'm sure Sasuke would _love_ to have you over." Sakura winked at the Uchiha who ignored her with one smug jerk of his head. "See you, Naruto. Take care."

"Ah, Sakura-chan. I'm not going out of Konoha so you don't need to worry like that."

The medic nin laughed. She bowed politely and led herself out of the house.

"So…Sasuke." Naruto faced the Uchiha, "About that stay…."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's okay with me. There's another room in this house and there's also a lot of empty houses in the compound." He said simply.

The blonde jumped up in triumph.

"But I want something in return."

The smile fell and was replaced by a serious frown. "What do you want?"

Sasuke ignored the unusual seriousness of the blonde. After all, he himself was serious about what he wanted. He approached the blonde and grabbed one of his wrists, his hand winding tightly on the tan skin. "Where you went when you vanished."

Naruto scowled, eyes showing irritation. "Well, that's something you have no right to know." He turned around and tried to leave but Sasuke had a good grip on his wrist.

"I have _every right_ to know, _Uzumaki_." The brunette said dangerously. "You fucking _disappeared_ in front of me. I was the only one who saw what happened and I _demand_ to know your whereabouts!"

The blonde growled, twisting his arm in an attempt to break free from the Uchiha. "NO YOU DON'T!" he screamed. He jerked his hand upward, finally making the other let go. "WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE SAKURA!" Naruto pushed Sasuke away, making him topple on the ground. Without looking back, he ran out of the house in anger.

Sasuke cursed himself. He knew it wasn't right for him to force something like that out of him when he obviously didn't want to talk about it but he just couldn't help it. His words came out angrier and more forceful than he meant it. He stood up and ran outside, only to see the blonde perform henge and that whisker-removing jutsu. He sighed. He was happy about the blonde being alive and he forgot about his disappearance but then Sakura just had to go and remind him.

"Sasuke, _you idiot_."

* * *

I love Sakura in the latest manga chapters – well, as long as Sasuke's not in the picture yet. She's strong and practical and worries over her friends and the people around her rather than worrying about Sasuke all the time. And that's the way she should be. 

Sasuke and angst…when have they not been together? But too much angst makes a bad fic (well, IMO) though a good one-shot. I mean, _no one_ angsts every second in his life. That's just plain unhuman and inhumane.

I think I missed a few words that were italicized. I convert the whole chapter into html before uploading it so I might've missed a few. Oh well. On the other hand, since it's almost my Christmas vacation, I'm getting the chapters done faster! Once my sem starts, I'll probably be dragged once again ;

Anyway, feed me reviews, dears. The 3rd chapter is finished already. I'm just waiting for your response. And if you plan to give me flames, please label as so…or I might not be able to see it. It's not sarcasm. I mean it. I don't really see what's so bad about recieving flames. _I_ bash myself on a daily basis so there's nothing wrong with others doing the same XDXDXD Criticisms are much appreciated though.

And much love to my reviewers: **Nadramon**, **SephirothduMatrea**, **Megagirl14045**, **Love Squared** and **prettybeka**. Now there are five of you XD Much love!


	4. III : Black as the Pit

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

**Note:** Not much progress in this chapter, sorry. I needed to make entrance for the characters. I can't just have them appear like Naruto has never vanished, ne? I'll probably have things going on the next one…which is already finished. I don't post the next chapter unless I finish the one after that.

* * *

**III. Black as the Pit**

Naruto raised a loosely clenched fist. He bit his lip, eyes changing from confusion to hesitation to defeat. With a long sigh, he let his hand drop. "Ah, I _can't_ bother Iruka-sensei like that…." He turned around and crossed his arms, scowling in frustration. Behind him was the door to Iruka's apartment. Iruka may not know he's alive and well but then, he planned to visit him anyway and now was a time of need. He just hoped Iruka wouldn't go as far as fainting on him.

"Tsunade-baachan _never_ forced me to say anything. Sakura-chan was willing to wait. But that asshole…." Tan hands clenched his currently red hair. "AAARRRRGGGHHHHH!" He screamed. He banged his head on the nearest place he could…Iruka's door.

A loud crash was heard behind inside the apartment. "Coming!" came Iruka's muffled voice.

Naruto blinked. He briefly wondered whether he should stay or run away…but one running away from a certain Uchiha was enough for the day. He closed his eyes tightly. He already "knocked" on the door and Iruka was on his way. With an embarrassed smile, he greeted his former sensei. "Iruka-sensei."

Umino Iruka tilted his head to one side. "Uhm, yes? Do we know each other?"

"Uh…well…you see…."

"From the Academy? You were my student?"

Naruto nodded.

Iruka noticed the lack of a hitai-ate but decided to entertain the young man nonetheless. He heard a few of his past students had quit being ninja. "Oh, uhm, well, do you need something from me?" Iruka asked in his usual polite demeanor. It was unusual for someone in that batch to approach him especially late at night. After all, they would most likely be chuunin or jounin already. There was practically nothing he could offer them anymore.

Naruto remained silent. He didn't know _how_ to tell Iruka it was him.

"I'm sorry. Your name seems to have slipped my mind." The teacher said, bowing slightly.

"Ah! Naruto-kun!"

Iruka whirled his head towards the speaker, anger evident in his actions. "Kakashi-sensei! That is _not_ a funny joke!"

Naruto peeked behind the chuunin. He could see Kakashi standing in the doorway to the living room. His eyes grew big in disbelief. Kakashi was wearing casual clothes (with the mask still in place) and he was inside Iruka's home. Conclusion: they were living together.

"It's been five years, Kakashi! And then you bring _him_ up like that!" The chuunin was fuming. His anger caused him to ignore the young man at his door as he animatedly scolded his jounin roommate.

Kakashi raised his palms in defense. "Iruka-sensei, calm down. It wasn't a joke or anything." He laughed lightly, patting the hysteric chuunin on the shoulders. Iruka grumbled. The jounin looked at the door, sweat dropped at the sight of an equally furious Naruto…though he doubted he was mad at the same thing as Iruka.

"Come inside, Naruto. Oh, and don't forget to close the door." Kakashi dodged the punch Iruka aimed at him. He whispered some words to Iruka's ear and led the chuunin towards the living room.

Naruto followed diligently. It was only then that he noticed that Kakashi called him by his name. He figured Tsunade must've asked Kakashi to do something for her – most likely watch over him. He scowled at the thought. He definitely did _not_ need to be "watched over".

"I was telling you about this a while ago but you wouldn't listen to me." Kakashi addressed Iruka. The two of them sat side by side on the loveseat in the living room. Kakashi motioned Naruto to sit on one of the stools. "Oh, and you can take off the jutsu now, Naruto."

"Would you please _stop_ mentioning his name?" Iruka in a very watery voice. "I KNOW HE'S DEAD, OKAY?"

With a set of seals and a snap, Naruto emerged with blonde hair, bright blue eyes and his trademark whisker scars. "I don't think I'm dead, Iruka-sensei. That sounded too mean." He pouted.

Like a fish out of water, Iruka's mouth closed and opened, mouthing unrecognizable words. He stood up and approached the blonde with shaking legs. He took one deep breath and exhaled, "Naruto."

Then he fainted.

- - -

Kakashi placed a blanket over the unconscious Iruka. He kissed him on the forehead and smiled.

"Eherm."

The jounin put on his mask and turned to Naruto. "Oh, you can put the glass over the table." He pointed to the small coffee table at the end of the couch.

Naruto rolled his eyes, carelessly placing the glass of water on the table. He approached Kakashi and glared. "If you decided to live with Iruka-sensei just to have good fuck access, then you'll be dealing with me." He growled, "And you _don't know_ how strong I've become during the past five years."

Kakashi laughed. "Language, Naruto, language."

"I'm _watching_ you, Kakashi."

It was true that Kakashi knew nothing of how far Naruto has progressed. The last time they met, he was already forced to take him seriously. Maybe this time around, he'd be on par with him…but then, Naruto was not the only person improving his skills. So did he. "No need to get rash, Naruto-kun. You know I won't hurt Iruka-sensei." He gave an annoying smirk and a slightly perverted chuckle.

Naruto's eyes grew a light purple.

Kakashi figured it was the right time to change the subject. He lifted Iruka's head and sat down on the couch, letting his thigh be the chuunin's pillow. "Anyway, what made you come here? The last time I saw you, you were going to the Uchiha compound with Sasuke and Sakura."

The blonde shrugged his shoulders, mumbling unintelligible words. He dropped down to the floor, sitting crossed leg across the couple. "Oh, how did you know it was me? Did the old hag send you?" he pointed.

"Ah yes. She called for me after you exited the tower, informed about your return and ordered me to watch you. I left for Iruka-sensei when Sasuke dragged you away." He chuckled at the memory. The Uchiha was so focused on Naruto that he didn't notice Kakashi's presence. Sakura, on the other hand, was too focused on Sasuke and Naruto's bickering.

"Oh good. I thought she told you everything."

Kakashi's eyes sharpened at the reply. He asked Tsunade to elaborate more about the situation but she snapped at him, using her power as the Hokage to order him away. With Naruto's response, it doesn't seem like he'll answer any of his questions. Whatever they were hiding, it was sure to be important.

"Ungh…." The head on Kakashi's lap stirred. Chocolate eyes blinked then opened. "What happened?"

The jounin fumbled with Iruka's hair. "You fainted, Iruka-sensei." He smiled, helping the chuunin sit up. "Here. Have a drink." He took the glass and handed it to Iruka.

"I had the most horrible dream." He said groggily, "I saw him, Kakashi-sensei. I saw Naruto again. I thought that after all these years, I was over that but it doesn't seem so." He gulped down a few mouthfuls of the water.

"Iruka-sensei! I'm right here!" Naruto pouted, waving his hands in the air. The next thing he knew, he was being sprayed with water…from Iruka's mouth. Sweatdropped, he wiped the water with his sleeve.

The paleness of Iruka's face was evident. "I'm still dreaming, aren't I? Kakashi-sensei?" he turned to the silver-haired jounin who just smiled and shook his head. "Oh god, I'm going crazy." He put a hand on his temple.

"IRUKA-SENSEI! YOU'RE WORSE THAN SAKURA-CHAN AND SHE'S A GIRL!" The blonde bellowed. "Sakura-chan cried on me. You _fainted_. See the whisker marks? It's me!" Then he felt arms wrap around his head, his face being pressed close to a familiar chest.

"But I just can't believe it's you." Iruka hugged the blonde tighter, tears falling uncontrollably. "All those years of telling me that you'd be found and in the end, they never did." The chuunin sniffed. He looked at Naruto in the eyes, smiling through tears.

"Welcome home, Naruto."

From behind, Iruka could hear the clapping of hands. He jerked his head towards Kakashi, eyes narrowed in anger. He grabbed the nearest thing he could throw (which was the glass he was drinking from a while ago) and tossed the thing with all his might. "Oh shut up, Kakashi!"

Luckily for the jounin, the thing was plastic.

"So, what made you come here?" Iruka asked, wiping the tears on his face with a handkerchief.

Naruto's smile quickly changed into a frown. "BAH! Sasuke was just being a bastard." He grumbled, "He kept asking me about the details of my disappearance and I didn't want to answer so we kinda got into a fight." He reasoned almost hesitantly. After all, he knew how shallow the fight was but an apologizing Uchiha was unheard of, "Look at Sakura-chan! _She_ was willing to wait! Tsunade-baachan _never_ forced me. And Kakashi?" he looked at the jounin, "He never asked!"

"Calm down, Naruto." Iruka patted the blonde. "I'm sure you know that Sasuke could be a little brash sometimes."

Kakashi and Naruto snorted. A _little_ brash? Only Iruka would call it that.

"But I'm sure he means well."

Naruto remained silent. All he wanted was an apology. A simple double syllabic word: sorry.

"And so you came here to Iruka-sensei to ask if you could stay over?" The jounin asked. "Tsunade-sama mentioned Sasuke walking in on you. She said you'd most probably stay over at his house."

Naruto nodded. "Yes, that was what I had in mind but with _you_ here, I don't think I would." He eyed Kakashi who just chuckled in return. "If only that bastard wasn't such a bastard!"

"You know, Naruto, when you disappeared, he was the most affected." Iruka said seriously, "He was _broken_…even though he would never admit it. Everybody saw it."

The blonde pursed his lips, eyes focusing on the floor. "I know that, Iruka-sensei. I've always known that." His voice was small and light, "It's just that I can't answer his questions yet. He waited for five years. Why can't he wait a little more?" Naruto said in despair but he knew it was unfair for him to make Sasuke wait.

Iruka smiled. "How about you go back to him and talk? I'm sure you can work it out."

The blonde shrugged his shoulder. "Sure, I'll give it a try." He beamed at his former sensei. "After all, I _am_ Uzumaki Naruto! I can conquer anything!" With a haughty laugh and a wave, he left the couple and raced towards Sasuke's house. Iruka glimpsed the red hair before Naruto disappeared out of his house.

"Well, now that Naruto's gone, we can go back to what we were doing." Kakashi said, approaching the brunette.

"We weren't doing anything, Kakashi."

"Oh, but we can start now."

- - -

Uchiha Sasuke was a man with a heart of ice. His cold demeanor, deadly fighting skills and sharingan marked him as a shinobi like no other. No person in Konoha was willing to get in his way for fear of receiving the infamous death glare that his fan club had interpreted into a hot loving stare. With fame, money and power like his, he had nothing to fear or worry from a peace-loving village like Konoha.

Yet here he was, tossing and turning in his bed in an attempt to let sleep settle in.

Why did the gods punish him with the presence of an idiot named Uzumaki Naruto?

"It's no use." Sasuke sat up, thoughtlessly throwing the blankets toward the floor. He got out of bed and rushed to the kitchen. He prepared himself a glass of hot milk. According to his deceased mother, warming one's stomach would let him sleep easier and caffeine at midnight was not an option.

Grabbing the mug, he went to his living room and sank to the couch. Silence wasted no time invading his ears. He soon found himself thinking about Naruto's condition. Where was the blonde? Had he found any place to stay? Does he have enough money to stay in a hotel? Sure he paid for his ramen but what was three bowls compared to a hotel fee? Why was he even worrying about Naruto like that? Of all the people he knew, Naruto should know how to take care of himself the best because he had always lived alone. It just so happens he was one big idiot.

He took one big gulp at his mug, flinching at the burning milk. He waited for the stinging sensation in his tongue to lessen before blowing to cool down his drink.

"Shouldn't worry about Naruto that way." He muttered to himself, taking a sip to test the warmth – still too hot. "After all, I'm the reason he ran away." But apology is still something he'll never give.

"Damn human pride."

_Knock, knock, knock-knock-knock! Knock, knock!_

The Uchiha growled. Who in the world would come at this hour? He was not willing to answer the door. He didn't care if the person could see his lights open. He'll let that annoying person suffer for all he cares.

_Knock! Knock! Knock, knock!_

Ignore, ignore. A shinobi has countless patience. It is a must in every mission. A must in every jounin. Just finish the milk and go to sleep. Ignorance is bliss.

_Knock, knock, knock! **BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

Killing without a mission is murder. Killing a Konoha citizen will surely drop his loyalty to zilch. He cannot risk being kicked out of the village after all these years. Patience and control. Control and patience.

_**BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!**_

Sasuke hissed. He dropped the mug to the nearest table and stomped towards his door, sharingan blaring in anger. He unlocked the door and slammed it open. "_What. Do. You. Want_?" he shot his best death glare at the person.

"FINALLY! I thought you'd never answer your damn door and I'd have to break it down!"

"Naruto?" Of course, only Naruto would be so patient with annoying people at midnight.

"Duh, who else would visit you? You're like a living, walking graveyard!" Naruto flung his arms in the air. He pushed the Uchiha from the door and rushed inside.

Sasuke followed the blonde with his eyes. He noticed that Naruto avoided his eyes. He closed the door and followed the blonde to the living room. Naruto grabbed the mug and drank all of it in one gulp, causing the Uchiha to scowl. Not only was the drink his, it was also too hot to drink that fast.

"I came to make peace with you." Naruto bounced onto the sofa, finally meeting the Uchiha's eyes. "Unlike _some people_, I'm not bound by human pride." He gave a foxy smile. "As long as you don't become nosy like before and go all sharingan on me, we'd get along just fine…with all the bickering of course." Naruto leaned on one of the sofa's arms, peeking at the hallway that led to the rooms.

"Well, you got over that fast." Sasuke teased, trying to make the mood lighter. He wanted Naruto to keep meeting his eyes, not looking away.

The blonde stood up and walked towards the hallway. Sasuke followed quite hurriedly. It's not as though he had problems with people looking at his room. Heck, he knew his fangirls had long since spied on it. He just has problems with _Naruto_ looking at him room.

"Eh? Is this your room?" Naruto pointed to the only open door in the hall. He wrinkled his nose and shrugged, "Your room is so boring not to mention messy."

Sasuke quickly shut the door, staring at Naruto's eyes. "Don't go in there."

"What?" The blonde stared right back. "I'll be going in there soon enough."

The Kakashi-influenced part of his mind kept screaming in agreement but the logical part caused that one to calm down. He didn't know what Naruto meant by that but he really didn't care. As of the moment, he was relieved that Naruto wasn't sulking on him, but he didn't like avoiding the topic that made them run away from each other. He wasn't an idiot to ignore the importance of what seemed like a petty argument. He knew better than that.

"Oh, I'll take this room, okay?" Naruto peeked into the room across Sasuke's, taking the Uchiha's silence as a yes. "Okay, it's already tomorrow. Oyasumi!" he waved and went inside the room but Sasuke stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto…."

"It's not a secret, Sasuke. It's just that I can't tell you yet." The blonde turned around. Blue met black. "You waited for me for five years. Could you…would you wait for me for a little while longer?"

Sasuke watched as Naruto closed door, blue eyes peeking at him until he was met with the beige door. He sighed.

Yes, he would wait for Naruto…just a little while longer he could…like he's always done.

- - -

When Sasuke woke up the next day, he knew it was midday already. He hadn't slept well last night though it wasn't because of irritation. He knew it was because of Naruto though not why. Sleep graced him only after a forced mantra of sleep and rest. At 3am in the morning, he received his well-deserved rest.

But what he didn't know was the loud crash he heard outside his door. He expected the blonde to wake up earlier than him because he was sure that idiot fell asleep earlier than he did. And with that inhuman stamina of his, he was sure that Naruto wasn't as tired as he was. He was not ready to face a clumsy idiot destroying his house and property by lack of coordination.

"Sasuke? Are you awake already?" Sasuke heard a couple of taps at his door. He sat up slowly, groaning at the thought of going through a day once again. "Oh well, I guess he's not awake yet. What a sleeper." The Uchiha heard the shuffling of paper bags and loud slamming of a door. Curiously, he stood up and opened his door.

"Oi, dobe."

Naruto turned around, "You're awake! _Finally_!" he threw the paper bags into the room, kicking them to one place, and turned his head to the right. "SAKURA-CHAN! SASUKE'S AWAKE ALREADY!" he turned back to Sasuke and said, pointing to the bags, "Clothes and weapons. Sakura-chan came early and helped me buy them. I didn't bring any luggage with me." He shrugged, "And there's no way I'd use _your_ clothes. Your fanclub would kill me."

Sasuke scowled. Though Sakura had mentioned coming over today, he wasn't expecting her till the afternoon because he knew that Sakura was a very busy shinobi. Tsunade must've heard about Sakura knowing about Naruto's return and gave her a day off. To top it all, Sakura and Naruto went shopping. And shopping was something the Uchiha reserved into the date category. It was definitely a day to start with scowling. Tsunade, Hokage or not, would get his death glare.

"Oh, that's good! Lunch will be ready in a few minutes!" Sakura came peeked into the hallway, smiling at the Uchiha. "And Naruto! Keep the bags properly!"

Naruto blew a raspberry and entered his room, closing it along with a line of curses.

The medic nin approached the Uchiha. A ladle was in her hands and a pink frilly apron with numerous ribbons and laces was placed over her uniform. Sasuke never remembered having that apron in the house. "The apron is mine." She supplied when she noticed the incredulous look Sasuke was giving her. "It's a bad thing you woke up this late, Sasuke-kun. Spent all night thinking?" she said in a whisper, "Don't let it happen again. Maybe next time you could go on a date with him."

Sasuke slammed the door in Sakura's face. He hated women and their overly accurate intuition. Sometimes he wished Sakura had never stopped being in his fan club so that she never could've gotten close to him. Now she's using the things she knew about him in teasing instead of asking him out on dates or something.

"If you come out for lunch, I'll give Naruto the apron."

Sasuke swore he could hear an ominous laugh echoing through his room that sounded a lot like Sakura's voice.

Sakura went to the kitchen with a contended smile. It was good to be able to tease Sasuke. She was never able to do that before. When they were genin, she spent most of her crushing on him. Then Sasuke went to Orochimaru and she spent that time becoming a good shinobi. And when Sasuke finally came back to Konoha, Naruto disappeared and she was left with a sulking Uchiha. She helped him through that invisible sorrow. After all, they were both mourning.

"Now that Sasuke would surely come and eat with us, I better add another plate to the table."

- - -

Sakura was unusually silent during the meal. She smiled pleasantly and received all the praises Naruto gave her with gusto. Most of the time though, she was looking at Uchiha, watching as Sasuke watched Naruto. But Sasuke wasn't a jounin for nothing. He knew that the medic nin was looking at him and he wasn't pleased by it.

He turned his head sharply at Sakura, glaring with all his might.

"Why, Sasuke? Doesn't the food taste good?" Naruto scowled, pointing his chopsticks at Sasuke. "Don't tell me you're _still_ mean to Sakura-chan! After all these years?"

"And what? You're still having petty crushes at your age?"

"What? With Sakura-chan?" The blonde asked, eyes swirling in confusion. "For you information, bastard, I _do not_ have a crush on Sakura-chan!" he hollered then looked at Sakura. "No offense meant, of course. You're a really nice girl, Sakura-chan but I like you more as an older sister." He shrugged.

"I know, Naruto. Besides, I have someone in mind." Sakura said, her chopsticks pursed between her lips. "And it's not Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nearly sighed. Well, at least he knew that Naruto has no more romantic feelings towards Sakura. He could finally eat and sleep in peace.

Then someone just had to knock at his door.

"SASUKE-KUN!" Ino's shrill voice startled the three of them from their meal.

The brunette wondered why that girl of all people would come here. The only person who ever visited him was Sakura, Kakashi and some random messenger from the Hokage. His eyes suspiciously wandered towards the pink-haired jounin. He noticed the falter in her smile.

"Uhm, there's something I forgot to mention to both of you."

"OI! ANYONE HOME?" Kiba's loud voice was accompanied by a couple of low-pitched barks.

Sakura stood up and bowed in apology. "Last night, Ino came by and…"

"Why do we have to go here? It's too troublesome." An annoyed dragged voice was heard from the door. Definitely Shikamaru's.

"…I was so happy I couldn't help but tell her about Naruto."

"Maybe, maybe they're not home, minna-san." Though there was no stuttering, the softness of the voice was undoubtedly Hinata's.

Sasuke looked at Naruto. The blonde was happily munching on his food, oblivious to the dilemma. The Uchiha turned and stared at Sakura who was shrinking to her seat already. He does not appreciate _people_ coming to his house to socialize nor does he feel happy about _those_ people coming for a certain ignorant blonde.

"Iie, Hinata-sama. They're home." Neji's strict and solid voice. Information was obviously gathered through the byakuugan.

"We don't really have a choice in this." Sasuke directed to Sakura. He sighed, looking at Naruto who was still enjoying his meal. Irritated, he kicked the blonde's shins.

"It's lunch time already so they're probably eating as of the moment and don't want to be disturbed." Chouji reasoned out.

"TEME!" Naruto screamed. He slammed his fists at the table and hissed at the Uchiha. "If you wanted to play footsie, just say so! Don't go kicking other people like that!"

"If they're there, they should let us in. After all, it is common courtesy." Shino's annoyingly correct logic.

Sasuke glared at the blonde. "You deserved it, dobe!"

"OH! MY BELOVED SAKURA-CHAN! OPEN THE DOORS OF REUNION FOR US!" Clearly, it was Lee speaking.

"What do you mean by that! I was listening you know!" Naruto threw his chopsticks at the brunette.

"Maybe we should go back later." Tenten's reasonable tone.

The blonde scowled. "ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS LET THEM IN! IS THAT SO HARD TO DO!"

"Eherm. They're already here." Sakura said.

Naruto and Sasuke looked towards the doorway. Sakura was standing in front of the frame, bowing in apology. With the shallow verbal argument the two were having, Sakura has stood up and finally let their friends in.

"Oh. Hello."

* * *

**OMAKE  
(Side dish)**

"Uhm, Sakura-chan, what am I supposed to do with this?" Naruto held out a pink frilly apron adorned with laces and ribbons.

Sakura laughed, pushing the apron back to Naruto, "Oh, it's an apron, Naruto! Don't you know what it is? You're supposed to wear it!" she tugged at the ribbons on both sides and the long lace on the back.

The blonde puffed, pouting with crossed arms, "I _know_ what it is!" His face scrunched at the seemingly complicated knots and ribbons. Not that he was thinking about wearing it, mind you. "But why are you giving it to me? I do cook but I never wear aprons, Sakura-chan! I don't need them! And there's no way I'll use something this…this…_girly_!"

Green eyes flashed. "But you _do_ need them, Naruto-chan!" She grabbed the blonde's wrists, forcing his hands to hold the apron in between them. "Don't you know how _dangerous_ cooking could be? In my line of work, I have seen jounin come to the hospital with horrendous burns on their hands due to boiling water over bonfire!"

It was, of course, a half-truth. Sakura had indeed seen horrendous burns but caused by _boiling water_? That would be the day!

But Naruto's cringing – horrified at Sakura for calling him 'Naruto-chan' – encouraged the medic nin to continue.

"I've seen ANBU – you hear that? _ANBU_! – come to me writhing in pain, vomiting in chunks that seemed to have been cut off from their insides and begging me to rip their intestines out because of the indescribable pain they were cursed with by the cooking of their comrades who forgot to bring their aprons!" Another lie: an exaggeration of a stomach ache.

A glitter of glee sparkled in Sakura's eyes as she felt the blonde hold the apron tighter in his fingers.

"See, Naruto? The dangers of cooking are endless!" She ignored the fact that she sounded a lot like a certain thick eye-browed taijutsu specialist she was fond of.

Naruto gave a nervous chuckle, "Uhm…I'll take my chances?" he managed to say under the fiery eyes of the medic nin. After all, what was endless pain compared to Sasuke's mockery?

But Sakura was a persistent girl. "NO! It is something every woma—_person_ should have!" The same sparkle that kept sending shivers down Naruto's spine appeared on the young woman's eyes. "It not only protects you from _everyday_ cooking hazards, it _also_ MAGICALLY makes your food taste better!" she sprinkled sparkling dust, which she got from smashing the glass (Sasuke's) from behind her, to add more effect to her words.

"But my cooking taste a _lot_ better than it looks! I could even beat you in a taste contest!" Naruto exclaimed proudly.

"Oh, but I _insist_, Naruto-_chan_."

The blonde cringed, clinging to the pink apron (now dubbed as his new and improved security blanket) like life depended on it. He wondered how long Sakura was going to call him 'Naruto-chan' – he couldn't handle the horror any longer.

- - -

The next day, Sasuke woke up to the aroma of good food. He followed the scent into the kitchen, almost floating in the beautiful aroma – not even Sakura's cooking could wake him up like that. Then a shock of pink hit his eyes. The infamous Uchiha Sasuke retreated without question, like a mouse to a cat. He was sure he didn't want to see Sakura first thing in the morning.

"OI! BASTARD!" Sasuke heard the clash of a ladle to pot. "Come back out here! Don't you run away from breakfast! I MADE IT!"

With horrified – pleased – disbelieving – pleased eyes, he went to the kitchen and stared at the person wearing that pink frilly apron with innumerable ribbons and laces. That idiot _actually_ believed whatever words of persuasion Sakura used. Not that he was complaining. In fact, he was happy with the view of a vulpine blonde in nothing but short boxers and a tight-fitting black shirt – of course the boxers weren't really _short_ and the shirt should be considered _loose_ instead of tight but Sasuke's active imagination could take care of that.

He made a note to tell Sakura to _teach_ the dobe how to put the apron properly because he was _sure_ that those ribbons were not supposed to be tied on your arms and neck like that.

"Well, with you cooking, I'd rather starve than eat whatever you're making." After ogling at the blonde, the best thing to do next is to annoy him. He wondered briefly if he'll have to eat ramen for breakfast.

"TEME!" Blue eyes flashed in anger. "_I'm_ doing you such a favor and you throw stuff like _that_ at my face!" the knife was brought down with a loud thud, "Besides, my cooking tastes better than Sakura-chan's ever could!"

Sasuke snorted.

"Stop reacting that way and just sit down!"

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders. He flopped onto one of the chairs around the dinner table, toying with the set utensils. He was thankful that Naruto was too busy making breakfast to notice that small smile on his face as he watched the blonde move clumsily through the kitchen.

"Here!" Naruto proudly flipped a couple of dishes onto the table. He sat down across the Uchiha, glowing with pride as his dishes skidded to a halt in between the two of them. "Itadakimasu!" He snapped his chopsticks together, but before he could dive into his homemade food, the expression of the Uchiha caught him. "What?"

Sasuke stared at him. "You call this," He lifted a long strand of the food colored in blotches of blue, purple and green, "food?" So much for the aroma that called him a while ago.

"Hey! Don't judge food by its color!" Naruto pointed with his chopsticks. He took a few servings of his own dishes, dumped it on his rice-filled bowl and gobbled the whole thing in less than five minutes. "Umai!" He licked his lips and his chopsticks.

"But you have a stomach of steel, dobe." Sasuke muttered. He put that multi-colored strand of whatever was cooked over the rice in his bowl. He prodded on the food, half-expecting it to blink or breathe. He sighed. Starving himself for the morning would do him no good. And if he ever comes down with a stomach ache, it would be Naruto's fault and he'd be the one to take care of him.

He swallowed that nervous lump in his throat and scooped a small portion of rice and that colorful strand of Naruto's dishes.

- - -

Sakura came home from the medic nin institute as happy as any medic could ever be. She took out the keys to her apartment – being of legal age _does_ require living alone. As she opened the door, she spotted a small envelope at her feet. She crouched down and read the note inside.

_Teach the dobe to tie the apron correctly – Sasuke_

She giggled, putting the note in her pocket. She had expected Sasuke to ask something like that of her. Oh, she was proud of herself for making the Uchiha ask something of somebody…though it sounded more like an order. It was almost synonymous to an Uchiha thanking her.

A few more steps forward and her shinobi-trained eyes spotted another note at her feet.

_And tell that idiot to make EDIBLE-LOOKING dishes not just edible dishes – Sasuke_

Sakura frowned. She saw Naruto and his…uhm…unusual dishes. It took a lot of assurances of her medical skills before she even _tried_ one of them. It surprised her in the end how good they tasted…despite looking like slabs of rocks and leaves painted in rainbow colors.

She shrugged. Oh well. More Naruto-work tomorrow. "Better get rested!"

* * *

I have a horrible memory over loveseats. It was hard to even mention the damn word TT It was horrible and fresh. My coach laughed at me for two days. Damn him and his loud gay laugh. 

If anyone thinks there is humor in this, I shall love you till SasuNaru is gone no more. I have no humorous cells in by brain and my ability to make such genre is zilch. I attempted to write humor once (though it's not posted here) and it's turned out extremely angsty. Woe is me.

As for the omake...I couldn't resist. Sorry. I thought of making it a separate ficlet but it'll loose its value without this chapter. Besides, the apron-thing would _never_ be mentioned on any of the chapters after this. It's a big side dish so to say. Uhm...hope it's okay?

I'll edit the chapter if I have time. I know the sentence construction is not that good. If my english prof saw me writing like this, he'll gloat at me for years to come.

Thanks to all who reviews and...uh...contributed to the hits? **SilverNightsWings**, **DarkDallas**, **sylver rain**, **Nadramon**, **catheryn2**, **Fa113n 5akura**, **NarutoFox** and **tishu**


	5. IV : Back to Both Poles

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru, LeeSaku(?), KibaHina(?)

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

**Note:** Finally moving at more than a day's pace! XD

* * *

**IV. Back to Both Poles**

"Though I expected Sakura to find out, I _never_ expected _all_ of you." Tsunade paced across the room, passing the group of shinobi lined up inside one of the conference rooms in the Hokage tower. The shinobi wouldn't be there if it weren't for a certain Uchiha who had proximity problems. As the Hokage, she knew it was correct for the Uchiha to bring these ninja to her. As Tsunade, she cursed the additional work thrown on her already heavy shoulders.

With a long sigh, she stopped in front of her apprentice, an eye of discretion watching over the young medic nin.

Sakura paled, toying with her fingers behind her back. "Well, uhm…I…." she darted her eyes left and right, trying to catch her fellow shinobi's eyes. She bit her lip. When facing the Hokage and her infamous wrath, neither friend nor foe will stay and help. The medic nin took a deep breath and looked at Tsunade, "I only told Ino about it. I didn't expect _everyone_ to find out."

"Lack of judgment, Haruno-san. I thought I taught you better than that." Tsunade walked by Sakura and went next to Ino.

"I told Shikamaru, Chouji and Hinata! Just them! No one else!"

"Uhm…Tsunade-sama?" Hinata said in her usual whispering voice. "Gomen nasai." The Hyuuga heiress bowed, "I think Neji-niisan heard it from me. I was so happy I couldn't help but talk about it at home."

Tsunade shook her head. "What about the others?"

"I heard from Lee!" Tenten raised her hand.

"Hokage-sama, sir! It was Kiba who told me!"

"Hey, don't blame me! Shino told me about it!"

All eyes focused on Shino. The insect master shrugged his shoulders. "Bugs." A few of his bugs crawled from his sleeve up to his hand. He raised his hand, offering to the Hokage. "For safety purposes, I have one of my bugs following each of you…except Uchiha though."

"WHAT! YOU HAVE _ALL_ OF US BUGGED!" Kiba exclaimed. He took of his jacket and started flapping it. "Do you even know the meaning of privacy? Aw, man!"

"Privacy. Solitude. Time of being with oneself. My bugs only keep track of location and conversations. No visuals."

Tsunade shook her head. She went to her chair and sat down almost angrily. "There's a reason why I wanted Naruto's identity to be a secret." She eyed all of them carefully, "His record still shows him dead. If anyone finds him alive, it would create big complications and would strike a big blow at the Hokage's – no, _Konoha's_ credibility. It's bad enough that Uchiha and Haruno found out." Tsunade explained. "Now, I believe it is only right for you to receive punishment."

The shinobi groaned.

"Can't you just let them off the hook?"

Heads turned towards a corner of the room, just behind the Hokage's chair. It was Naruto. A few of them wondered how he got there and why they never noticed him there but the blonde's carefree attitude threw away all suspicions.

"I don't have a problem with them knowing." Naruto grinned, skipping towards Tsunade. "Actually, I _want_ them to know I'm here. I planned on visiting them sometime this week but then I was afraid they die of surprise." He sighed, arms crossed. "Iruka-sensei fainted when he saw me. He kept saying I was dead and whatnot." He shrugged.

The Hokage groaned. "You included him too?"

"Well, _I_ didn't tell Kakashi-sensei."

"_That_ was needed. Kakashi is a very trustworthy shinobi…despite being constantly late. And I needed someone to watch you. Who knows what would've happened if I left you alone with the Uchiha!" Tsunade rolled her eyes.

"Aren't they trustworthy shinobi as well?"

Tsunade turned to the lined-up jounin, chuunin and ANBU. She swore she saw them all giving her pleading eyes. If it weren't for their pride, they would be down on their knees groveling. She sighed. "Well, as long as they don't tell anyone else and _don't_ act so obvious about it." She glared at Kiba and Lee. "I could let them go with minimal punishment, just a week's worth of guard duty." Sadistic as she is, the groans and complaints she received was music to her ears. "Dismissed."

One by one, they went out of the office. Sakura came out last, bowing respectfully to her teacher before closing the door. All that was left inside the office were a genin and a kage.

Tsunade swung her chair to face Naruto. "Lucky for you, I've already discussed the situation with the council. I left out where you came from – it would complicate things more than it already is. They're not that _enthusiastic_ about having you back."

Naruto snorted. "When have they ever been?"

"I've only convinced them because of you being a jinchuuriki. It's a good thing the council members are power leeches. They don't ask much about details. It was easy to drop the subject of your previous location."

The blonde's face contorted into a bittersweet expression. His eyes showed a lot of sorrow but there was anger as well. At one point he looked happy and at another, in mourning. "But I'm not a…_jinchuuriki_…not anymore." His voice was overflowing with regret.

Tsunade frowned. It wasn't just because Naruto denied what he was – he never lived in denial though he was person of masks. The gaki had reacted the same way when she asked about Kyuubi the last time they talked. She tried to pry the information out but backed down when she saw angry eyes – _Kyuubi's_ eyes staring back at her. But she couldn't sense any of the demon's chakra. She hoped that Naruto gained full control of the demon not something worse.

"Anyway, they are allowing you to become a genin once again. Unfortunately, I couldn't stop them from being suspicious. An ANBU squad is assigned to watch over you for six months, just until the chuunin exams. Within that time, you're not allowed to leave the village. And since you're staying with Uchiha—"

"Wait, wait…what do you mean? _I'm_ staying with him?"

"It's not like you have a choice. He's the only one who lives alone and the _only_ one with enough room for you to live in a different one everyday." Tsunade exaggerated though a part of her believes that there are more than 365 rooms in the estate. "So, do yourself a favor and keep yourself in line. Don't try to kill each other…and the _other_ end of the pole."

Naruto felt himself grow warmer. He covered his face with a hand. "I'm not – I won't – I _don't_!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Mhmm." She nodded. "Maybe you won't but Uchiha might. If you don't start it, he definitely will. He likes you more than you want to believe. Maybe even more than you could." She smirked. One of the blessings of being Hokage, you can tease anybody you want and they _can't_ argue with you. Well, in Naruto's case, he couldn't make any move to kill her.

The genin bit his lip, crossing his arms in an annoyed pout. "Don't have to tell me that…. I know more than you ever could." He mumbled. "Anyway, about the ANBU…am I allowed to loose them?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"The chuunin exams are starting in six months, right?" Naruto tapped his foot, shifting from one to another. "I need to train. It's been a long time since I've been here. I have to adjust to the atmosphere. Oh, and could I get access to one of the training grounds?"

"Wait just a minute!" It was confusing enough with Naruto blabbering about "adjusting" to the atmosphere and now the gaki _believes_ he could loose the ANBU. "Well, I'll give you one of the chuunin training grounds. As for the ANBU, I'll make you a deal…though I'll need to discuss this with the council first. You'll let the ANBU follow you at all times with no complaints. They'll let you go once you're in the training grounds and resume watch when you leave."

The blonde shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. I can live with them for six months. It's not like it's _that_ long." He stood up, hands tucked into his pockets, "Old hag, do I _still_ need to use henge when I go out? Or could I just drop it? It's too troublesome to do." He chuckled at the Shikamaru-like comment.

Tsunade rolled her eyes, snorting at the suggestion. "Not like it matters anymore, you _already_ let _everyone_ know."

Naruto shook his head, "No, not everyone."

"Everyone that matters."

"Bah! They deserve to know!" He blew a raspberry and ran out of that office.

Tsunade sighed, sinking to her chair in a wave of calmness. "Ah, the trouble you give me, Naruto."

- - -

It was rare for an Uchiha to be lost – especially when it comes to things they own. But as of the moment, Sasuke was in panic though his actions and words show nothing about it. "Damn." He cursed, dropping to his stomach to look under the furniture and to juggle his memory a bit. His trained eyes caught a sparkle from a corner of his room, just under his drawers. He crawled towards the drawer, grabbing the item with one swipe. "Just a coin." He grumbled, throwing the piece away. With a sigh, he stood up, dusting away all the dirt that clung to his shirt. He should really clean his room soon. It was usually Sakura who forced him to do it.

"Oi! Teme! Found my hitai-ate yet?"

"I'm not the idiot who left it while I disappeared." Sasuke hissed.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT!" A loud annoying bang echoed through the Uchiha's room, "I'm not the bastard who was _obsessed_ on other people's hitai-ate!"

Nothing to argue with there. He had always brought Naruto's head protector wherever he went. A part of him was hoping that – no matter how childish it sounds – it would give way for Naruto's return. It was like an addiction, a vice. The armor made him more miserable instead of hopeful. After three years of bringing it everywhere, Sakura forced him to quit – to keep the protector at his house and move on. He didn't know if it was just a wild guess or Naruto really knew.

And now that damned metal item was giving him trouble once again.

"Could you _hurry_ up a bit? You've been searching for an hour already!" Sasuke heard a gasp, "Don't tell me you lost it! IRUKA-SENSEI GAVE THAT TO ME!"

Oh yes, right. _That's_ why Naruto wasn't willing to get a new one. Sasuke dug through his closet, throwing clothes that he never knew he had into a big pile behind him.

"You know, it would be a _lot_ easier to look for it if you _ask_ me to help you!"

Sasuke twitched. First of all, he _never_ asks for help! It was simply preposterous. He'd be breaking the anti-social code! He knew how horrible his pride was but he could _never_ live through Naruto's taunts. If it was someone else, he could just ignore him. Secondly, he wasn't willing to show Naruto the state of his room. Not only did he admit it was boring, it was filthy, absolutely filthy.

"DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU JERK!" Another round of loud banging and – was that screeching?

"SHUT UP AND LET ME LOOK!" A tinge of red mixed with his pale complexion. He _did not_ raise his voice to that level especially for an argument with a certain idiot. It was good thing he didn't let Naruto help him. Had the blonde been here, his reputation would crumble before his eyes.

"Sasuke? Did you—did you just shout?" From behind the door, Naruto started laughing.

Sasuke stared at the door, his sharingan activated by anger. With all his willpower, he ignored the urge to kick Naruto's ass and focused on the task. Then something caught his sharingan. Just above the drawer was a small closet hidden by a genjutsu. He approached the closet, ignoring the taunts and laughter of the blonde. "Kai." The jutsu was dispelled. In one swift motion, he opened the drawer and grabbed the item inside: Naruto's hitai-ate.

Sasuke cursed his memory. Of course he would hide something as important as that in a genjutsu. He stomped towards the door, avoiding the mess he made with the use of his skills, thankful that he was a top shinobi. He opened the door, went out and slammed it shut in a flash of a second. Looking up, he found himself an inch away from the blonde's face. _That_ was something he forgot to involve.

"Uhm…hey…." Naruto shifted from one foot to another, turning his head from one side to another. He kept glancing at the Uchiha then avoiding the stare the next moment. His attempt to stay still and move away was foiled by his nervousness and not-so-coordinated coordination. The hallway was too small for two people to fit with enough personal space. With one sharp intake of breath, he asked "The hitai-ate?"

"Here." Sasuke's hand brushed across the blonde's stomach up to his chest then he dropped his hand. Hesitantly, he moved backwards but the wall seemed to push him closer to the blonde. He hated these kinds of situations. He hated getting stuck with _Naruto_ – of all people! – in these kinds of situations. The blonde had no definition of standing still.

Naruto's eyes brightened at the protector in Sasuke's hands. All issues about proximity flew out of his mind. He reached for the shiny metal, his hair tickling the Uchiha's nose, but before his fingers could touch it, he was sent sideways by the brunette. He fell down ungracefully on his butt. "OI! TEME! What's with the push—" The hitai-ate hit him lightly on the head.

"Your stupid hitai-ate." Sasuke turned away from the blonde. He wasn't in the mood to deal with the idiots complaints over something he had coming.

"Oh. Thanks." With a foxy grin, he tied the hitai-ate on his forehead. He rubbed the protector, biting his lip in what seemed like worry. He untied the cloth and placed it on his neck instead. "There. Better." He stood up, happy that his long-lost-item-of-joy had finally found its way back to him.

The brunette couldn't help but stare. Sure, Naruto looked _much_ better with his bangs down. The contrast of his vivid blonde hair over his crystal blue eyes was like the midday sky. The blonde's bangs weren't long like his was so there wasn't a need to keep them back. But he didn't expect the blonde to _actually_ wear his headgear on his neck or anywhere else for that matter.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Naruto shrugged, "If it's the hitai-ate, I'm just not used to having something on my forehead anymore. It _has_ been five years since I wore a hitai-ate." He grinned, laughing lightly, "And besides, I was told I look better with my hair like this." He winked then pushed his way past the Uchiha, straight to the living room.

Sasuke allowed himself a small smile. There was nothing to argue with there. Not only that, he just received a clue about where Naruto came from. It was definitely _not_ an undiscovered shinobi village. God knows that with Naruto's skill level, he would be noticed by the village whether or not he applied to be a ninja. Considering that the idiot had no self-restraint when it comes to training, staying as a commoner would be out of the question so normal villages would not apply either. And there were still those mysterious black things.

So that piece of information only made the whole Naruto whereabouts _more_ complicated. At least he had a clue. Oh yes, waiting for the blonde to tell him he would do but for curiosity and sanity's sake, he'd make an effort to find out.

"Ah! It's so nice to be an official shinobi again! A genin, maybe, but that'll change in six months!" Naruto punched the air, eyes burning with determination. "But then, I'm not allowed to leave the village so I can't do C class missions. There's _no way_ I'll do D missions! That'd be degrading!"

Sasuke smirked, leaning on the doorway. It was always amusing to see the blonde think. It always seemed like such a stressing task though Sasuke knew it was better to ignore it. It was only a façade and a habit the blonde never seemed to loose in his carefree attitude.

"If you want a spar, I'm free."

Blue eyes caught dark ones in one sharp turn. "But you're a _jounin_!" Naruto whined, "And I need to be a _chuunin_! If I fight you, I'd _have_ to fight in a _jounin_ level!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto's reasoning could be so unreasonable sometimes. Having jounin skills in a chuunin exam would be a great asset so there should be nothing to complain about.

"And you're a _katon_ fighter! You _can't_ use katon on me because it just won't work and some things will backfire. It would be a _boring_ fight if I could beat you with the snap of a finger!"

Sasuke twitched, "Katon may be my specialty but I've got a _thousand_ more up my sleeves." His sharingan swirled into view as though to flaunt to Naruto the copying skills of his bloodline, "And what makes you _think_ you can stop my katon?"

"And I don't want _my_ techniques to be copied by your freaky red eye thing! It's not like _you'll_ be able to _copy_ them but that's _also a problem_!"

"_Freaky red eye thing_?" That was it. Uchiha Sasuke was going to kick Naruto's ass to the next century.

- - -

Kakashi _disliked_ being bothered on his free time. He _despised_ being away from Iruka on his free time but for love's sake (Iruka asked him) and his (to get back to Iruka and to satisfy his curiosity), he'll go and spend his time at the source of all things terrible: the Uchiha estates.

Loud explosions and the clashing of metal reached his ears as he approached the private lake of the Uchiha estates. From the high branches of the trees, he could see four ANBU watching intently. A couple of them nodded his way. He returned the nod with a smile. If they acknowledged him, they must be _decent_ ANBU, not some crap that would hate Naruto for being a jinchuuriki.

Kakashi halted at the edge of the clearing. He knew he would be spotted at that location but that wouldn't matter since he wasn't _hiding_. He could see his former students maintain perfect balance on top of the water that it seemed they were on solid land. It was a feat any high-leveled jounin could achieve. He chuckled. Naruto would breeze through the chuunin exams so fast it would make the dead cry.

Sasuke and Naruto threw their customary insults at each other while avoiding attacks – Naruto with his tactical use of his trademark Kage Bunshin, and Sasuke with his perfect kunai and shuriken projectiles and ninjutsu.

Kakashi's eyes widened in admiration as he saw Naruto perform a Suiton and a very destructive one at that. His thirst to know Naruto's previous whereabouts multiplied a thousand times.

Sasuke cut through the jutsu with a chidori. Mist engulfed the two fighters as the Suiton evaporated. The Uchiha jumped up high, escaping the zero visibility of the mist. His hands moved at lightning speed to create the necessary seals. "Katon: Housenka no Jutsu." A dozen of fist-sized fireballs zoomed towards the mist, clearing the dense air as it passed.

A smirk graced his lips as he spotted the blonde standing at the very place he aimed. But something was wrong. His sharingan could see no chakra from him.

Naruto was standing straight, hands limp on his sides. His eyes were focused on the fireballs.

The idiot had no plans to evade the attack.

"NARUTO!"

Mist exploded as the fireballs took a hit. Sasuke's eyes nervously scanned the area. At one end of the growing cloud of mist, he saw a familiar silver-haired jounin, holding a blonde by the waist. He sighed in relief and instantly raced towards the two.

"Naruto! YOU IDIOT!" The Uchiha raised a fist but Kakashi got to the blonde first.

"What the hell were you thinking, Naruto? Were you even _thinking_!" Kakashi scolded, a finger waving in front of the blonde's face. "Don't you know how much Iruka-sensei will punish me if I _let_ you get hurt! It'll be _ten times_ worse than what punishment the Hokage would give me!"

Naruto pouted. He certainly didn't see anything wrong with what he was doing. In fact, he believed it was the best thing to do. "It's not like I'd get killed or anything! I won't even get a scratch! What the hell is wrong with you two!"

"What do you call _standing_ in front of a jutsu, dobe? With no chakra!""

"Well, I could handle that." The blonde growled under his breath. "Do you _think_ I'm stupid enough to let myself get hit with a katon! I already told you," He turned to Sasuke, "You can't use katon with me! _It won't work_! ARGH! How can I work with you when you can't even _trust_ me!"

Sasuke met the glare with his own trademark death glare. "As far as I'm concerned, there's no possible way to deflect a ninjutsu without using chakra." The marks of his sharingan swirled as though to remind the blonde of his bloodline. "Not unless your measly excuse for a brain believes it could stop a _katon_ with taijutsu."

"Who said anything about jutsu?"

All he received were two pairs of disbelieving eyes.

Naruto sighed. He stood up, shaking his head vigorously. "Just forget it." He combed a hand through his hair, causing water droplets to fall. "The next time we spar, you won't see anything like that. Well, not until I prove my strength to you! Just wait till I tackle the jounin exams!"

Like the Naruto they've always known: the unconquerable optimist.

- - -

The 'next spar' never came to Sasuke and Naruto. Sasuke was a jounin – and a renowned one at that! – so, he was constantly out on missions. Naruto, on the other hand, kept disappearing into the training grounds Tsunade gave him, training grounds that allowed no one but the fox inside. Other than that, he was out spending time with the rest of the gang who didn't have missions.

"I'm _sure_ you're ready for the chuunin exams, Naruto." Sakura snorted, almost putting poison in a bottle labeled tranquilizer. "But are you sure you don't want me to give you some knock-out gas? Poison? Sleeping powder?"

Naruto shook his head. He arranged a tray of vials into one of the cupboards and glanced at Sakura. "Nah. It won't be fair if I get help from one of Konoha's best medic nin, right? The council would _never_ let me advance to chuunin if they ever find out!"

The medic nin frowned at the mention of the council. "The council is stupid. Don't mind them." She stuck out her tongue in disgust.

The blonde laughed. "Yep. Damn stupid. Don't worry. I'll show them!" He turned around, jumping in pseudo-triumph. "Just one more day! Can't wait for tomorrow! I'm getting bored of all the training I do!"

"Why? Because Sasuke's not there to train with you?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Sakura, "You know, I swear you sound like Tsunade-baabaa more and more each day."

The pink-haired girl laughed, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh, and speaking of Sasuke, seen each other lately? Tsunade-sama gave him a month long mission, right? That's what she told me."

The blonde head bobbed, "Yeah. And knowing that old hag, she probably said something weird to make that bastard accept the mission." He crossed his arms. Sakura didn't need to be a genius to figure out how upset the blonde was. It was evident in his reactions.

"She probably wanted you to concentrate on your training instead of each other."

If Naruto was drinking, he would've spit whatever was in his mouth onto whoever was in front of him. He had heard Sasuke mention Sakura and her teases that he hated so much. It was only now – after innumerable jeers and taunts – that he could feel that hate slap him on the face. "Hey! I _do_ concentrate on my training! I don't…I _never_ mix Sasuke with _that_."

"Of course. Sasuke has his own share of your time so you don't have to multitask." Sakura giggled as Naruto's tanned face was splashed with red. "Anyway, you should go now, Naruto. I have a class to teach in five minutes." She glanced at her wristwatch. "See you!" she winked at the blonde and went out of the apothecary.

With a sigh, Naruto closed the cupboard and walked out of the institute. He couldn't figure out why he would react that way to the teases. With Sasuke around, he doesn't feel _that_ pretentious. On the other hand, Sasuke doesn't tease himself to him or the other way around. But they didn't need to hint him _that_ bad. He wasn't as much as an idiot as Sasuke claimed him to be.

And speaking of Sasuke….

"He'd be back tonight." Naruto kicked a pebble. He stuffed his hands in his pocket, speeding up his walk.

He knew that Tsunade didn't mean to send the brunette away. It was all Sasuke's fault for being such a well-known shinobi with a 100 success rate. It was all his fault for being such a _perfect_ shinobi. It was all his fault for giving everything he had and collapsing on the living room as soon as he returned home. It was all his fault for making Naruto worry over something he knew would be okay.

Every night of Sasuke's return, Naruto would wait in his room, crouched down with his back leaning on his door. Sometimes, the brunette would come home on the morning of the next day but Naruto would always be awake. He'd always be waiting for that light thump of Sasuke falling on the sofa in exhaustion.

He'd always tiptoe towards the Uchiha with chakra-aided steps and softly push those dark bangs heavy with sweat.

And Sasuke would always groan but lean into his touch nonetheless.

And Naruto would always chuckle at the Uchiha's reactions as he carried the brunette to his own room.

And Naruto would always lay him down, wipe his perspiring face clean and change his clothes for him.

And Naruto would always leave quietly with no word about his idiosyncrasies, as Sasuke would call it, that night or the day after or any of the days after that. After all, it was something he didn't need to say. It was something he did because he cared and not because he wanted to rub it into a certain brunette's face, a certain brunette that wondered every morning afterwards how he got into his room and how he changed his clothes but never got to answer them as his daily arguments with a certain blonde would rid his mind of all queries.

And Naruto would keep doing that same silent routine until he himself would become a jounin and he wouldn't need to wait for Sasuke because he would be there with him.

In the end, it wasn't just Sasuke who waited. Naruto waited much more than he ever could.

* * *

Yes, bittersweet scene at the end there. I figured leaving each story in angst or something of the like would eventually make bland endings. Besides, the genre is Romance/Angst not Angst/Romance. Oh, and repetition is on purpose there, okay? 

Anyway, did you notice that I rarely put the characters thoughts into the story? I paraphrase them into sentences, not let them "think" it. There was only one time I did that. It was one the second chapter, Sasuke was the one thinking (because he's a hard character to write about without letting him think thoughts). A bit hard to do because it would sometimes sound like the author would be talking directly to the audience instead of just letting the story retell the thoughts but I believe it would create a better atmosphere for the fic. Without the thoughts, you, my dearest readers, would be forced to focus more on the little actions and words they give to each other.

Thanks to: **liar-just-a-liar**, **Toma Kaze**, **SilverNightsWings**, **SephirothduMatrea**, **Nadramon**, **tishu** and **Fall3n 5akura**


	6. V : A God of Battles

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Naruto is created by Masashi Kishimoto and owns it damn well.

**Note:** I'm not going to be detailed about the chuunin exams. Mainly because it's not the point of the story. If I do so, I'd have to include so many short-lived OCs and I don't really like OCs…despite the fact that I'd put one in this fic. Only because there's no one else to explain where Naruto came from and all the other stuff. I'd probably go in depth with the jounin exams though.

* * *

**V. A God of Battles**

Naruto looked at his teammates. Of the three of them, he was obviously the oldest. It wasn't rare for Konoha shinobi to enter the chuunin exams at their twenties but it was near to impossible for them to accept shinobi they were unacquainted…much less someone who has been 'dead' for years. So there was no other choice but to be with a younger team…

"YEAH! THE MIRACLE OF YOUTH SHALL LET US BREEZE THROUGH THIS EXAM!"

…who had Gai as their sensei. It seemed that Gai's teachings just kept getting stronger each year.

"Uh, okay." Naruto nodded along with the two genin. "Don't worry. Just trust me and we'll get through this thing! No sweat!" He gave them the infamous 'good guy' pose which sent the kids jumping in admiration.

"Yeah! Gai-sensei told us to go to you if there's trouble!"

The blonde sighed, patting the backs of the genin. He felt like _he_ was the instructor and the two were his students. "You heard him right. All problems go through me." He was thankful though, that the two weren't stuck-up brats like Sasuke was during his first chuunin exam.

"Ready? Let's go!"

"YOSH!"

- - -

"Maa, maa, I never expected you to follow my footsteps." Kakashi closed his _Icha Icha Paradise_ in one loud snap. With a smile, he met the furious eyes of the Uchiha.

"Shut it, Kakashi." Sasuke walked past the jounin in wide strides. "The day I follow you would be the day Naruto hates ramen."

The jounin laughed. "And _still_ thinking of Naruto? Keep those thoughts in bed. Just like I do." He patted the Uchiha's back but he was quickly shrugged off with a death glare. Kakashi shrugged. He was used to being given that death glare…especially when he mentions Naruto. He flipped his book open and resumed reading.

Sasuke grumbled. He was rarely late but he had a mission yesterday and, like always, he found himself mysteriously placed on his bed. There was no pleasing aroma to wake him from his slumber or any loud rambunctious noises that would make him panic – both for his property and for Naruto's sake. Time seemed to pass so slow that he paid little attention to the clocks around the house. Before he knew it, he was already an hour late for the chuunin exam battles.

"Finally!" Sakura rushed to the Uchiha, "I thought you'd _let_ yourself miss the battles! You already missed Naruto's first battle!" she glanced at Sasuke's hand and at his collar before grabbing his wrist and dragging him to the front row. She saved a seat just for him – not for her own reasons but she had a feeling Naruto would appreciate seeing Sasuke at one easy glance.

"Don't worry. You didn't miss much. Naruto's first fight lasted only for five minutes. All he used were his Kage Bunshin!" The medic nin assured the brunette. "The next match would be Naruto's second one."

Sasuke blinked. He didn't like the sound of that. The Naruto he knew would go all out against any opponent no matter how unnecessary it would be. It seemed so wrong for Naruto to use Kage Bunshin alone even though Sasuke knew how good the blonde was with that jutsu. But he expected Naruto to flaunt all his skills so that he could rub it in everyone's faces. Had he changed so much in those five years that he'd willingly miss such a chance?

His eyes darted to the examiner in the ring. The examiner raised his left hand, signifying the winner of the match. The crowd went wild with cheers but it quickly died down as the winning genin limped out of the arena and the medic nin rushed the other one to the clinic upon a stretcher. With one flick of the wrist, the examiner called the next fighter to the ring.

"WOOHOO! NARUTOOOO!" Sakura hollered, standing on her seat like an insane groupie.

From behind, Sasuke could hear the same supportive shouts. He turned around to see the original rookie nine and Gai's teams scattered in the same section of the stadium as they were. His eyes focused on Naruto who was waving at everyone around him. He leaned forward, eager to see the blonde's performance at the battle. Then Naruto's eyes captured his.

Sasuke waited for a protesting shout from the blonde but it never came. Naruto just looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face. The blonde shrugged, tucked his hands in his pockets and approached the referee. He offered his hand to his opponent.

Naruto's opponent was older than him. He was from the Hidden Village of Rain. Sasuke could remember the man quite well. He was the one who used poison on his weapons though he wasn't all that careful with his projectiles. The brunette fought him during his second chuunin exam. He defeated the shinobi with ease and because of the damage he caused him, that Ame nin couldn't enter the exam for a year. It was a bit unnerving to see the same face in the same exam after three or four years.

"Oi, dobe." Sasuke smirked, "Don't spend too much time playing."

The Ame nin quickly slapped Naruto's hand away. Naruto blinked. He was trying to be friendly but if his opponent wanted to be an ass then so be it. Using his heel, he pivoted and glared at Sasuke, wondering if the brunette's unnerving bastard-ity/asshole-ness are contagious to shinobi of other villages.

"Damn hell I won't." Naruto shouted, returned the smirk with a foxy smile of his own. A small whizzing sound alerted him of the shuriken the opponent threw his way. He jumped to the side, crouching low in the ground in his customized stance. "And don't bother me while I'm playing!" Naruto screamed. He jerked his head to his opponent, swinging a kunai on a finger to deflect the projectiles that were thrown out of frustration rather than for the exam.

Naruto smiled. It was easier to battle an agitated opponent. The movements were so predictable he wouldn't need to think of any tactics for the battle. All he need was to let his spontaneity take hold of his actions. He placed two fingers upon his other hand to breate a cross: the seal for his trademark Kage Bunshin. The two clones he created caught the kunai coming his way and threw them back in one fluid motion. The game was on.

In silence, Sasuke watched the battle proceed, his sharingan replacing his dark eyes. Naruto did _indeed_ use Kage Bunshin alone. But there was something unusual about the fight. When there were no Bunshin left, the opponent would chance a hit and Naruto would vanish in a puff of smoke: a Kage Bunshin. The blonde would suddenly appear behind the nin and get a square hit at the enemy's blind spot. Or that Naruto would throw kunai and shuriken and the shinobi would jump far away but somehow, the hit would land squarely at his blind spot.

No matter how much he made his sharingan powerful, he couldn't understand how Naruto could do that – without chakra nonetheless! Speed wouldn't be an option anymore because he had trained his eyes to follow even Lee's who was considered the fastest jounin in Konoha. Neither could stealth because the arena was practically bear. He wondered briefly if this was the technique Naruto planned on using during their last spar. He blamed Kakashi for stopping the blonde from doing anything.

"Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto waved enthusiastically at the cheering audience. He threw a thumbs-up towards Sasuke and jumped back to the waiting area.

The next of battle went unnoticed to Sasuke's eyes. He was still thinking about Naruto's battle. From the corner of his eyes, he could see Kakashi looking at him past that orange book of his. He had also noticed Naruto's unusual fighting style and like the Uchiha heir, he too was mystified by it. It was efficient despite being suspicious. It would certainly qualify him as a chuunin.

The final battle came quickly. Naruto was to face a shinobi of the Leaf. The fox bowed in respect before the fight started. But time wasn't wasted in this battle. The Konoha nin never had the chance to attack unlike the ones who preceded him. With half a dozen Kage Bunshin, the blonde prevented his opponent to make as much as a hand seal. He delivered his blows in lightning speed, finishing the nin with one hard back punch (1). Naruto was the one who put the shinobi onto the stretcher afterwards.

The impact of that battle sent the audience in silence. Not one of them had cheered until Naruto himself escorted the medic nin out of the arena. After a quick message from the hosting Hokage, Tsunade, the audience filtered out of the arena, muttering future rumors to each other.

The original rookie nine, Neji, Lee and Tenten left the stadium with their duties in hand. After all, it was impossible for them to all be present in the chuunin exam battle so they had to exchange duties with other jounin. Hinata had to teach in the Academy. Sakura had postponed her med nin responsibilities for too long now. Ino had to watch over the flower shop. In the end, Sasuke was the only one left. Having nothing to do, he decided to visit the blonde in the infirmary.

"That was an unusual battle."

Sasuke froze. That voice sounded highly familiar though he couldn't place it anywhere. As he turned around at the corner, he saw a shock of red hair. With one quick step, he retreated to the corridor, wondering what the Kazekage is doing in the participants' waiting area.

"Well, I am trying to be a chuunin so I only need to show off chuunin skills." Naruto's voice followed Gaara's.

"With a jounin level technique."

"Bah! Shut up!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He heard of the camaraderie between Sabaku no Gaara and Uzumaki Naruto but he'd never seen them talk to each other. Not that it was any of his business if they ever do. He tucked his fists into his pockets and forced himself to walk away. It shouldn't bother him that Gaara had got to Naruto first. It shouldn't bother him that Gaara was the one teasing the blonde instead of him.

And it shouldn't bother him that Gaara acted like he had been with Naruto for so long that he could act so indifferent.

- - -

"It's good to see you again, Gaara! It's been what? Six months?" Naruto turned around, smiling at the Kazekage as he led him to Ichiraku. "But don't you forget how sore I am about you being a kage before I could!" He pointed a shaking finger at the redhead.

Gaara shrugged, "It's not like my title could compete with yours."

"Hey! Don't go saying things like that!" The blonde crossed his arms, stopping in his strides. "I _still_ want to be Hokage and that means something! Even though _everyone_ seems to be against it…." He sighed, mumbling under his breath. He pivoted to his right, Ichiraku towering in all its glory in front of them, and entered the bar, greeting the owner and the workers. He grinned at Gaara and led the Kazekage to one of the tables instead of his usual place at the counter.

Ayame quickly appeared at their table with a pad at one of her hands and a pen ready. "So, what'll you guys have?"

"Ah, you know what I want, Ayame-san!"

The young woman sighed. She then turned to Gaara, eyeing his black attire with caution, "And you, sir? Your order please."

Gaara passed an indifferent look at Ayame. His eyes focused on Naruto, completely ignoring the girl.

"Ignore Gaara, Ayame-san!" Naruto bowed in apology. He pulled the apron of the angry waitress and whispered, "He's the Kazekage and trust me, getting mad at him would just waste your time." He sighed as Ayame went back to the counter and gave his order.

"I'm surprised she's still not here." Gaara rested his chin on the back of his palm, eyes glaring at everyone in the ramen bar. He meant nothing bad but old habits do die hard.

The blonde snorted, "So am I." He leaned on wooden backrest of the chair, "She's not really on the forgive-and-forget side. If _I_ cause Tsunade-baabaa problems, she'd cause _me_ disasters! But knowing her, she'll be here soon. Especially with the ANBU squad on the move." His eyes glanced at the counter, eyeing a few people before looking back at the Kazekage as though nothing happened. "Their watch should've end a week ago but they're damn persistent. I think they're not the same ones from before. They seem to be avoiding Kakashi-sensei."

"It'll be dangerous if they stay." Gaara kept his eyes towards Naruto, looking at the counter through the reflection in the blonde's eyes.

Blue eyes narrowed in caution. "I'm watching as much as they're watching me. I'll catch her before anything happens." He grinned, giving the Kazekage two thumbs-up.

"But it'll be more dangerous for Uchiha."

Naruto froze, shoulders stiffing at the mention of the name, "Nothing will happen to Sasuke…not while I'm watching over him." A soft sad smile met the Kazekage as those blue eyes grew cloudy. "More like something will happen to _me_." The happy façade covered that falter of emotion, "You know how much of a bastard he is! And his pride? Gah! It's worse than the endless pits of the underworld!"

Gaara closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. Sometimes, Naruto overdoes that unreasonable happy act of his. "Don't give too much. Not everyone would return the favor. After all…" His green eyes sharpened, lips pursed into a stern frown, "…they're just human."

Ayame approached the two, smiling in the light-hearted demeanor Ichiraku was famous for. With all caution, she placed five bowls of ramen on the table, carefully balancing the tray with her other hand. As she put the last bowl down, the Kazekage stood up, giving a slight nod towards Naruto, "I'll be going then."

"Ah! Wait! Gaara!" Naruto grabbed the redhead's arm, tugging to make the other look at him. "Uhm, thanks." He grinned, rubbing the back of his head, "For letting me stay in Suna eight months ago – without question at that. I didn't actually give you guys a proper goodbye and thanks. Sorry."

Gaara paused, looking at Naruto with an indifferent stare. "Two months aren't much." He crossed his arms and tapped his arm lightly. "It was a pleasure…to have you over." A slight hint of hesitance marked his voice, "That's what you say when having a…_friend_…over."

The blonde blinked. A laugh escaped his bright smile. "Exactly." He waved at the Kazekage's retreating back. Beside him, Ayame questioned that unusual exchange of words, wondering if all shinobi from other villages act like that.

- - -

When Sasuke came back from training, he found his house lighted and cheery with the sweet smell of dinner lingering on the porch. His eyes didn't miss the sight of the blonde busy in the kitchen as he went to his room to get changed. He took a light shower before going to the meal he knew was waiting for him.

With a towel drying his hair, he went to his meal. The blonde was seated on the dinner table at his usual place, elbows placed upon the table with his chin resting on his intertwined fingers. Suspicion quickly grabbed him as he saw that unusually bright and pleasant smile he saw on Naruto's face, much like the smile a sees upon Sakura whenever she asks him to go out and socialize.

He twitched. What he thought he poured out in training, had come back to haunt him: Gaara _with_ Naruto. He wasn't denying his frustration at seeing the two act so friendly with each other. Well, as friendly as Gaara could be. He was _only_ denying _why_ he was frustrated. It was small progress but progress nonetheless. At least he admitted one part.

"Oi! Where were you all this time? I wanted to ask you what you wanted for dinner!" Naruto flapped a hand towards the brunette. "Sakura-chan showed me a few dishes! That's what I cooked for today!" He spread his arms to show off his dishes. "You know, you should learn how to cook well one day because I'm getting tired of doing the _all_ the wife part of the family." He waved a reprimanding finger in front of the brunette.

Sasuke tensed. Trust Naruto to say something that implies so many things. He should be used to the way the blonde talks already because he _has_ been living with him for the past six months. "I don't let freeloaders stay in my house. You're just doing your share of work to pay for your lodgings." He grabbed his chopsticks and started eating.

"You're such an ass, Sasuke!" Naruto said as he himself stuffed his mouth with food and swallowed in four short chomps. "I cook for you after your training and you call me accusing me of freeloading? Not only that, you didn't invite me to train with you!"

"I wasn't the one busy with other village's kage."

"Oh? You saw that?" Naruto laughed, "Of _course_ I was with Gaara! I did have to thank him for letting me stay in Suna for two months! And if you wanted me, you could've just _asked_!" he slapped the table, making the ceramic plates bounce lightly on the wood.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. He placed his chopsticks properly on his rice bowl and asked, "Two months? In Suna?" His tone said the unspoken why-wasn't-I-informed-of-this.

Naruto turned his head away from Sasuke, his fingers passing from his temple to the back of his head. It was a habit of nervousness and he knew that the person sitting across him noticed that very well. Sighing, he let his eyes met with charcoal ones and said, "When I came back here, I didn't – _couldn't_ go straight to Konoha. I had a…_predicament_ so to say. So I went to Suna and stayed there until that predicament is over."

Sasuke tapped his finger impatiently on the table. He wasn't satisfied with the answer. It was just too vague. "To Suna of all places! And what kind of predicament lasts for _two months_!"

"Well…." If Naruto kept combing his hair like that, he'd look like a blue-eyed blonde Sasuke by morning, "Suna was a good place because Gaara was the Kazekage. He's…you know…like me so I didn't explain so much. He'd just…understand." The blonde took a deep breath, "And that predicament is the price…the payment…the punishment."

Sasuke closed his eyes. Whenever he asks the blonde things about his disappearance, he's left with more and more unanswered questions. Sometimes he wonders if Naruto is doing it on purpose or the S-class missions had finally taken a whack at Sasuke's intelligence. "Naru—"

"I didn't tell you…I'm sorry." Naruto looked at Sasuke with half a smile gracing his face. "I didn't want to deal with questions that I can't answer yet so I never told you about Suna. I didn't want to fight you over that either." He sighed, "Bickering with you is always fun and I get to forget certain things that make many more things complicated. It makes us seem like…well…_friends_. Close friends. Best friends." The blonde bit his lip, lowering his gaze to his rice bowl. "It's just that sometimes it's a bit too much."

"Baka." Sasuke whispered, "We _are_ friends…maybe…even more." He looked at Naruto. The blonde smiled and he found himself smiling in return.

"There's something else, Sasuke." Naruto tapped his feet nervously. "I'm moving out."

* * *

(1) Gah, I hate putting notes like these. It interrupts the story but I felt I had to explain. The back punch I'm speaking of is made by swinging the back of a clenched fist at 180 degrees with the head as it's target – you get power from the swing of your upper body along with the fist. If done properly, it could knock-out an opponent with one hit. A blockmate of mine demonstrated it in front of us once. She became scary after that XD 

- - -

So, what do you think of Sasuke and Naruto as of the moment? I wanted to make it so that they both know there's something more already though there aren't any confessions or I-love-you's yet, to make it look like there's still something missing…something that's keeping them apart…like a wall that prevents them from reaching each other further. It may be Sasuke. Or it could be Naruto.

And no, dears, that scene up there? It's not GaaNaru. Not at all. I just loved the way Gaara and Naruto acted around each on Chapter 281 of the manga – I _melted_ – that's why I put that scene up there…but it has its own importance. BTW, they're not talking about some random OC that I'd pair with Naruto or Gaara. That's horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible! You'll give me a heart attack if you ever tell me that!

Thanks for the reviews! **Lee**, **FireTemptress**, **omnikaze**, **Fa113n 5akura**, **tishu**, **half-demon628**, **firelid**, **Randomunit02**, **Toma Kaze** and **HikaruNoJingoku**.


	7. VI : Here Comes a Star

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Grab a random online dictionary or encyclopedia. Search for "Fanfiction". Enough said.

**Note:** Warning! OC here! Well, she has no lines anyway. She just appears. It's my attempt to make her as annoying-less as possible…for me.

* * *

**VI. Here Comes a Star**

"Moving out?"

Sasuke was calm as a pond but inside a storm was raging in his seas. Just when he thought that the time for words has come, the blonde presents a statement that throws all coherent thought out of the window. He knew he wasn't an ideal housemate but Naruto never acted like he hated staying with him. In fact, he seemed to enjoy it.

But Naruto saw nothing of the shock he gave to the Uchiha. "Well, as soon as I get enough money to rent an apartment. I already found one and the landlord was kind enough to reserve it for me. All I need is the pay from one class B mission and I could get enough money to rent the unit and buy a few things for the apartment." He laughed lightly, glancing at the Uchiha with guilty eyes.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Just a B mission? That wouldn't be enough to pay for the expenses, dobe. And don't even _think_ I'll let you borrow money from me." He said a bit too angry than he meant. He didn't want the blonde to leave. That was a fact. A part of him felt that if Naruto was to be out of his reach, he'd disappear once again. So there was no way he'd lend a hand to that.

"No! I have enough!" Naruto shook his head vigorously, "I knew you'll _never_ lend me money! I worked for the old hag. She had me organize documents and reports. I _begged_ her for that job you know! But the pay wasn't much and I had my own expenses so it took me months to get a good stack of moola."

"How long?" The brunette clenched his fists, cursing his luck. "How long have you been working for the Hokage?"

The blonde shrugged, tapping a finger to his lips in thought, "I think about…four? Five months? Almost as long as I've been in Konoha. I'm not stupid enough to slack around without a job!"

Sasuke repeated everything he heard in his mind. All he knew was that he needed to find a leeway, a hole in that idiot's plan to make him stay without looking desperate. "But you need to be a chuunin for that mission." He smirked, "The exam results aren't out yet. Don't make plans without solid facts."

Naruto stared at Sasuke. A few seconds afterwards, he was laughing so loud his voice was echoing through the whole house. "You could always move with me if you're lonely, Sasuke. I won't mind. Besides, I'm getting an apartment with two bedrooms. You'll fit."

Sasuke flinched. Lonely…was such a strong word. He wasn't about to admit that. Not even to himself. He wanted the blonde to stay. That's what he felt. Who cares about the why? And hearing about the two bedrooms did not make his mood any better. "And what? Planning on getting a whore to make you a little family of your own?" He hissed. Sometimes, having a one-tracked mind could get him into too much trouble.

Blue eyes darkened in anger. "I'm expecting a guest, _Uchiha_." He closed his eyes, his lips pulled into an indifferent frown. "And I'm quite happy with the little family I have. Even if an asshole like you is part of it." He stood up, gathering the empty dishes on the table. "If you're finished with your meal, bring your plates to the sink _and_ do _your_ fair share of chores."

The Uchiha stared at his empty rice bowl, tapping his chopsticks absent-mindedly on the rim. He sighed. He went too far in that situation. The reply Naruto gave him made him feel like a child arguing an adult. He wondered if he should apologize…if he shit away his pride to do something that needs to be done.

He stood up, grabbing his bowl and chopsticks. "Naruto." His head was turned away from the blonde, avoiding any contact with those blue eyes that seemed to cause him both pain and bliss.

"I'm sorry."

- - -

After three day's worth of waiting, the results of the exam were given to each Kage. There were only three genin who passed the exams: one from Suna and two from Konoha. Naruto passed the exams…along with Gai's unending approval and praise. It seemed that his team had taken a _liking_ to him and Gai was so proud that his students had put the blonde in the same worship ground as he was.

But Naruto was so happy that he wouldn't let Gai ruin the moment. He knew that Konoha's council had stood up against passing him but lucky for him, the examiners, the daimyo and the kage from other villages were awed at his performance that they insisted he was passed.

He made a note to thank Gaara afterwards. Well, after he spends a whole day abusing his bragging rights to the Uchiha.

The release of the results was the end of the exam…much to the joy of Konoha. The security could resume to their normal plans and duties since the guests were to return to their respected villages. It was time for the Kazekage to return to his village.

"My gratitude for having me over." Gaara lightly nodded, giving his respect to the Hokage. He then turned to Naruto, "I'd have to hire you one day…when you've finally become a jounin." He gave his hand to the blonde.

Naruto grinned, shaking the other's hand excitedly. "Hehe, I should hire you as well." He chuckled, "When Konoha's in trouble and I can't be there to save it."

"Make sure to do that in this lifetime." Gaara gave the blonde a small smile. After a formal valediction from the council, the Kazekage left the village with his own set of Suna nin to give him protection he obviously did not need. He never looked back to the Hidden Village of Leaf. He just kept going and going till the forest swallowed them into camouflage.

"Anyway…." Naruto turned to Tsunade, his hands on the back of his head. The council had gone back to their quarters. Only a few of the farewell party had stayed, mostly those who knew Naruto personally. "Now that I'm chuunin, could I take that mission you promised me, baa-chan?"

Tsunade clenched her fists, her long fingernails digging her flesh. She was not going to be baited by that disrespectful address to a very respectful shinobi. Not if it was a newly promoted chuunin who _never_ called her Hokage in the first place. "Come into my office, gaki. We'll discuss it there." She grabbed the blonde's hitai-ate and dragged him towards the tower.

Naruto struggled, desperately clawing at his neck for air. He wasn't suffocating at all but that doesn't mean he couldn't act that way.

Sasuke watched the Hokage and the blonde disappear into the tower, his fingers tapping nervously at his thigh. Silently, he muttered a prayer to gods he never believed in, hoping that maybe they'd grant his wish of making Naruto continue living with him. He'd miss the food and the chores done for him. Most importantly, he'd miss the blonde.

"Let me guess. Naruto?"

The brunette quickly stopped tapping and shoved his hands into his pockets. He knew that voice. Who else would see every little move he makes _and_ associate it with that blonde idiot?

"Bull's eye!" Sakura gave a thumbs-up to Ino, who was standing just right behind her. "So what in _all_ seven levels of hell did Naruto do now? Did he put your heater to max and let the shower burn you? No wait, it was Kakashi-sensei who got hit by that. Stingy burns but nothing that can't be cured."

Sasuke grumbled. He didn't want to be disturbed with his letter to the gods despite how tempting it was to hear about Kakashi and that prank Naruto pulled on him. It was probably about Iruka in the first place. After all, if there was something to make Naruto act against Kakashi like that, it would be Iruka. _Icha Icha Paradise_ is not an option.

"Naruto didn't tell you about the apartment." The medic nin grinned as she saw that slight falter in the Uchiha's steps. "And I take it he never told you about that little celebration we're having at Ichiraku." She praised her intuition for being accurate most of the time. "It's for Naruto's promotion. Tsunade-sama hinted me about the results so I had Ichiraku reserved for today."

Sometimes, all the Uchiha wanted was to grab one of Sakura's experimental truth serum – neglect all the not-so-pretty side-effects – and make the blonde swallow everything even if it has to come from his mouth first. He just wanted to know whether Naruto forgets to tell him such things or he never wanted to tell him in the first place.

But what if the blonde never wanted him to go to the celebration like he hated staying with him so much that he's desperate to get an apartment of his own?

The truth can hurt sometimes but it's better than lies.

"Com'n now. Let's get going!"

- - -

"You mean he _never_ told you he was going to move out? I thought that _you_ of _all_ people would know about it! You _do_ live in the same house." Kiba hit his cup with the Uchiha's, laughing loudly. "That idiot! I bet he never wanted you to know in the first place!"

"Nah. He must've forgotten. You know how Naruto is with stuff. You'd tell him you're a jounin one day and he'd ask again the next day. Such a troublesome person." Shikamaru stretched his arms, trying to get comfortable on one of the benches in the ramen house.

Across the Uchiha, just beside Inuzuka, sat Hinata who was shaking her head in protest. "No. I don't think so. Naruto-kun always takes note of telling those things to Uchiha-san whenever he come to visit me. I think he just feels a bit awkward telling you, Uchiha-san." She nodded lightly in respect, "After all, it's hard to tell such things to a person important to you."

Sasuke looked away from Kiba and Hinata. The defense of the Hyuuga heir did nothing to lighten his mood. Everyone around him seemed to know so much more about Naruto. Even Shino knew about the blonde and the apartment.

"He said something about getting an apartment with two rooms, right?" Ino chided, putting a tray of onigiri in front of the Uchiha. Even if they are celebrating for Naruto, it still isn't possible to have a party with ramen alone. "Maybe he got that for you, Sasuke-kun. Didn't he ask you to move in with him? I'm sure the Uchiha estates are too big to live in alone."

Yes, Naruto asked him but he just threw away the offer with a whore comment. Oh joy. "The other room is for a guest he's expecting."

The whole ramen bar stopped, eyes widening towards the Uchiha. Not only did Sasuke _respond_ – to Ino! – but Naruto? Having a guest over? And giving that guest a room of his own? What in the seven levels of hell—!

"Wah! Everyone's here!" A blue-eyed blonde entered the ramen bar. All eyes narrowed towards him. He blinked. Shrugging off the stares – but failing to do so – he flopped himself beside the Uchiha. "What?"

"According to Uchiha here, you're having a _guest_ over for that other room in your apartment." Kiba tilted his cup towards the blonde. A few drops fell onto the table. "Who's gonna be the person that kicks Uchiha out of your apartment?"

Naruto blinked. He rolled his eyes and sighed, saying, "What the hell are you talking about, Kiba? _Nobody's_ kicking Sasuke out of my apartment…except me. He's just an ass that's why he's not moving in with me." He kicked Sasuke from under the table, receiving a kick back. "Anyway, my guest should be here any day now…though I thought she'd be here earlier."

Keyword: SHE.

Wolf whistles (from Kiba and Lee mostly) and high-pitched squeals (from Ino, Sakura and Tenten) erupted in Ichiraku.

Beside the guest of honor, Sasuke brooded, his mood going darker by the second. Like everyone in the party, he hadn't expected the guest to be a girl – a _woman_. He gripped his cup, almost cracking it, and drank its contents in one gulp.

"Ah, Naruto-kun! Your powers seemed to have become stronger over the years! A WOMAN IS FINALLY IN YOUR ARMS!" Lee put a cup to his lips but Sakura grabbed it before the liquor could make chaos out of a disaster.

"AW, SHUT UP! SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND OR ANYTHING! _EWWWW_!" Naruto threw chopsticks at everyone he saw cheering at him. He grimaced, pounding his fists on the table. He jerked his head to Kakashi, screaming, "YOU'RE A FUCKING DISEASE! You turned everyone into _perverts_ LIKE YOU!"

"Naruto! Language!" Iruka slapped the blonde with chopsticks on the forehead.

Naruto crossed his arms, pouting back into his seat. "Damn human idiots." He mumbled. Then he noticed Sasuke drowning himself with drinks beside him. His eyes grew wide. He quickly grabbed the brunette's collar, shaking him too hard, "Don't tell me you _believe_ them! SASUKEEE!" But the object of his attention ignored him.

"Cheating already? And with Sasuke at that. Tsk, tsk, tsk." Kakashi leaned on the bench the two were sitting on. "Maybe I should give one of you the whole volume of _Icha Icha Paradise_, ne?" But before he could say anything more, Iruka dragged him away with a pinch on the ear. A few seconds later, they could hear Iruka's stern voice scolding the jounin.

Sakura caught the chopsticks thrown towards her, placing them neatly on the counter she was leaning on. Her eyes darted from Naruto to Sasuke. She sighed. She could see an annoyed Uchiha and that wasn't a good sign. Naruto, on the other hand, looked more angry than embarrassed. Like as if he found insult instead of shame with the teasing everyone – including her – was doing.

"But Naruto, if you plan on having a girlfriend-slash-boyfriend, I think it's time we have…_the talk_." Iruka put his hand on Naruto's head, patting lightly. "We should have one now. The sooner, the better, the safer. Which would you like the male one or the female one?"

"IRUKA-SENSEI!" Naruto banged his head on the table. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

- - -

Sasuke rarely drank wine, beer…much less sake. But he prided himself with being able to have a decent clear mind despite the innumerable number of cupfuls he had drunk. Though the headaches were monstrous, he could still walk home on his own. His steps were wobbly and his shinobi skills were murdered by the dizzy spells but he did not need anyone's help to walk through the peace-loving streets of Konoha. No help at all.

"Sasuke, stop being a bastard and let me help you walk home!" Naruto grabbed his arm, putting it across his shoulders. He placed a hand on Sasuke's hit, supporting his slightly wobbled steps.

"I can walk home by myself, dobe." Sasuke hissed. He tried pushing the blonde away but only ended up falling on the other, his face bright red. The liquor made him clumsier than usual.

Naruto sighed. He released his hold on the brunette's waist and grabbed his arms, hoisting the other up. "See? You _need_ help. You're becoming as clumsier than I am!" he laughed, "And your face is really red! Must be the liquor, ne? You're tipsy and you have to admit it." He cupped Sasuke's face, staring intently at his eyes.

Sasuke jerked his head down. He didn't want Naruto to notice that blush on his face though he was pretty sure the liquor covered it well enough for him. With the blonde so near him, the heat was too much for him to bear…like he was face with a large Katon jutsu. A wisp of cold air brought him back to his senses. He looked up, "Naruto?"

"Sshh." The blonde placed a finger over his lips. He looked towards the skies, scanning the rooftops around them. "The ANBU aren't here anymore. Somebody's blocking my watch."

"What are you talking about, dobe?" Sasuke shook his head slowly. He was dizzy enough as it is. "Your sentence is finished already. Hokage-sama ordered the ANBU away as soon as the chuunin exams started. I was there when she did that."

Naruto signaled the brunette to keep quiet. "It's not Tsunade's ANBU anymore." He turned to Sasuke, scanning the surrounding behind him, "They're not the same ones from before. I think the council sent them."

Sasuke tried to focus on Naruto but the dizzy spells made it hard. He should've known that the council would do something behind the Hokage's back. They always did…especially when it was about that fox. But he still couldn't understand how Naruto knew without being found out. Tracking the ANBU required a lot of concentration and chakra but an ANBU would usually sense the chakra so it would be useless.

Blue eyes snapped shut. "ARGH!" He screamed, grabbing his air in frustration, "There's only one person I know who could block me like that…." He froze. The soft blue light of the full moon only enhanced the sudden paleness of his face. "Sasuke, you could walk back to your house, right? You'd be okay?"

"Of course I would, you idiot." The brunette flinched, his hand clutching his forehead.

"Good." Naruto smiled. "I'll be going then." He waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face and jumped up to the rooftops.

Sasuke snapped his head to the blonde, a headache quickly attacking him. "Na-Naruto!" He called at Naruto's retreating back. He pulled a fistful of his raven hair in an attempt to clear his vision and ease his headache. He cursed himself and the liquor as he followed the blonde from the ground. He was too dizzy to follow on the rooftops. "Damnit. Why was liquor ever created in the first place!"

From the rooftops, he saw the blonde stop on one of the electricity poles. He stumbled just below the blonde, leaning on the pole for support. The headache had eased a bit but the liquor was still in effect. Sasuke narrowed his eyes to the blurry figures in front of him. It was a team of ANBU, the one the council sent. But there was something else…a small figure standing upright in front of the ANBU – almost like a child but no matter how bright the moon was, he could never distinguish the person's facial features.

"You're trespassing on Konoha territory." One of the ANBU said. He snapped his fingers and the other three dropped into their fighting stances, each wielding a weapon of their own expertise.

The small figure said nothing. As the ANBU flashed their weapons, the person took a step forward.

Sasuke wasn't sure if what he saw was real or it was the liquor messing with his mind. As soon as the intruder took the step forward, the weapons the ANBU were holding got thrown away from their grasp. The person crouched down, ready to spring an attack towards the ANBU but before the intruder could reach even a hand's width towards the shinobi, a hand grabbed his clothes and threw him a few feet away from the flustered ANBU. The intruder landed on his feet. All of it happened in a second's time.

Naruto stood between the intruder and the ANBU. His arms were crossed and a stern expression replaced his usual cheery and goofy attitude. It was a look Sasuke never believed the blonde could ever give.

Cold blue eyes focused on the intruder. "Hoshi."

Sasuke turned his aching head to the intruder. The moonlight dimmed as a cluster of clouds crawled over the bright blue orb. Only then did he notice the features of the so-called trespasser. Soft wavy raven black hair cut at shoulder length and bright crystal blue eyes – it was little girl that looked barely ten years old.

Dark eyes squinted at the sight. Sasuke couldn't believe a ten-year-old could actually face the ANBU like that. He couldn't believe that little girl was ten. Maybe she could do the same jutsu as the Hokage and she did that to fool Konoha and most importantly…that dead-last Naruto.

Naruto leaned his head on his shoulder, catching the ANBU at the corner of his eyes. "She's not an intruder, ANBU. If you call the Hokage, she'll be able to confirm Hoshi's passage into the village." Behind him, two of the shinobi disappeared. Then those cold eyes focused on Sasuke. With a smile, Naruto's eyes twinkled with mischief and joy. "You'd be the first."

Sasuke turned confused and unfocused eyes towards the blonde. He didn't like that sudden change of mood.

"Sasuke, this is Hoshi." Naruto jerked a head towards the little girl who was standing silent and still on the same place she landed when the blonde threw her away. "The guest everyone is teasing me to."

Sasuke felt anger rush through his veins as he saw the reason why Naruto was moving away. His rage was unjustified but he didn't care. He just needed to throw his anger to somebody and that little girl just seemed like the perfect candidate. Before he could say anything to Naruto and the little girl, a shadow passed down his eyes. The world spun and he knew no more.

* * *

Would anyone like to see what the OC looks like? I drew her. And speaking of the OC, she _obviously_ ain't an Uchiha-Uzumaki genetic offspring because as said…she looks like a _ten-year-old_. And Naruto's what? 20? Not unless somebody out there thinks she can be conceived when Naruto was ten. Oh joy. But Naruto's the reason why she's a brunette with blue eyes. 

I don't like OCs. I'm sure I've said that enough. But there's one thing I notice about OCs. They suck when the story suddenly focuses on them and their pasts. They become the main character and that's just plain annoying. So my OC would only appear when she's needed and no mention of whatever past she has because she has a boring routine for a life. Seriously.

My dearest reviewers, thanks for screaming your heart out to me but I need the OC before I could reveal the five-year thing. I just can't see Naruto it. Well, without any stimulator, no. The story will tell where he disappeared to on Chapter IX. If you guys review well and contribute to the hits, then it'd come sooner XD Let me be the review-whore that I am!

Thanks to: **Aki no Yume1**, **hy-nguyen**, **Cheatersbaby**, **Wolfkun**, **TheDragonOfDarkness001**, **FireTemptress**, **lunabasketcase**, **unknown**, **tsuki-kage**, **Toma Kaze** and **Randomunit02**

If you make beautiful reviews and constructive critiques, I'll reward you with a plot cookie! XD


	8. VII : Soul of an Eternal Wish

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Grab a random online dictionary or encyclopedia. Search for "Fanfiction". Enough said.

**Note:** Do tell me if you find the OC a bit annoying (or more than that). It's kinda hard to spot when you're the one writing it.

* * *

**VII. Soul of an Eternal Wish**

Sasuke groaned. His head was spinning, which caused his sight to turn everything into giant blobs of multicolored shapes. Last night was very vague. He could remember bits and pieces after the party: Naruto insisting on helping him walk home, the ANBU chase, the little girl and that unusual confrontation with Naruto, the girl and the ANBU. But the more he tried to organize his thoughts, the more they seemed to jumble. He needed something to cool his head.

_**SPLASH!**_

"What the fuck—!" Sasuke sat up straight, wiping the water on his face.

"Naruto-sama, the human brat is awake now. I administered your wishes as follow."

A pale hand passed over dark eyes, trying to clear up his vision. He was lying on the couch of his living room with a blanket placed carefully on his lap. Beside him was the little girl from last night with two dripping glasses in her hands. Sasuke decided: he doesn't like little girls.

"Ah! Hoshi!" Naruto hurriedly filled a glass with water and rushed towards the girl. "I told you to give Sasuke some water when he wakes up! _Not_ throw water at him to wake him up! You did _that_ on purpose!" He crouched down in front of the brunette, bowing with an apologetic grin. "Now go and get a towel for Sasuke!"

Hoshi frowned, blue eyes locked with Naruto's, "We don't like the Uchiha." She made a quick bow and went away to get the towel Naruto asked for.

The blonde sighed, "Sorry about that." He handed the glass to the brunette and dropped a couple of pills onto his hand. "That's for the headache and hangover. Sakura-chan gave them to me."

Sasuke popped the pills into his mouth, gulping down water till he swallowed them all. He placed the glass onto the side table and looked at the little girl. "That girl's…your guest, right?"

Naruto nodded, "I don't need to tell you this but she doesn't really like you."

Sasuke snorted, "Obviously."

"She hates you."

It was a well-known fact that…well…the Uchiha clan is well-known. As the heir to the clan, Sasuke had faced many prejudicial reactions though all of them were either positive or indifferent. He wondered vaguely what he could've done to have a ten-year-old girl hate him. He should be the one angry for making Naruto move away.

"Naruto-sama, towel." Hoshi smiled, giving the towel to the blonde.

Naruto smiled back. He took the towel and threw it to Sasuke. "Here. Dry yourself up and…uh…get a change of clothes. You'll catch a cold wearing wet ones." He jabbed a finger towards the hallway. "Be happy I respect your privacy enough to stay away from your room." He playfully punched the brunette's chest.

"It's not like _I_ go snooping into _your_ room." Sasuke threw the blanket off his lap, vigorously rubbing his hair with the towel. He looked at the little girl, seeing icy blue eyes staring back at him from behind those long dark bangs. He raised an eyebrow but received no response from the girl. He stood up and went to his room.

To Sasuke, the girl acted like the stoic young boy when he was young…minus the I-hate-everyone attitude because she obviously worships Naruto. With pale skin, dark hair and abnormally bright blue eyes that looked so much like Naruto's, he almost let himself believe that this girl could be the offspring of an Uchiha and an Uzumaki. In his mind, he quickly slashed away Itachi's name from the list of surviving Uchiha.

As much as the thought was amusing, he wasn't stupid enough to believe Naruto having a daughter though it would explain a great deal why the little girl was angry at him. No one would really be please at a person who just punched a whole through their father's chest. It would also mean that he could not hate the girl as much he would like.

"Sasuke! Stop being a girl and come out already! How hard is it to take off your shirt and put on another? You should've asked me to take off your shirt for you if you're having so much trouble!"

Sasuke threw his hitai-ate at the door. Loud mocking laughs replied at his physical outburst.

"Anyway, come to the living room once you're finished being a girl. Hoshi and I need to talk to you."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. He grabbed his hitai-ate and walked to the living room. There he Naruto lying on the couch with the little girl sitting on the backrest. "You rang?"

Naruto clumsily sat up. "Yeah. I just wanted to tell you that I'd be moving to the apartment today." He ruffled the little girl's hair, "I don't want to give you trouble with Hoshi around. You're a very violent person, Sasuke." He grinned, "Hoshi's just as violent, maybe even more."

Hoshi shook her head, "No, Hoshi isn't violent. I follow Naruto-sama's wishes very well. Naruto-sama wishes the human's safety and that's what I shall do." She turned to Sasuke, "As long as the laws aren't violated, Hoshi will fulfill the wish."

Sasuke frowned. For a person who couldn't care about people's opinions, he seemed to care a lot about the little girl's hatred for him. Probably because Naruto is the only person she could've gotten an opinion about him. He wondered what the blonde had been saying about him that made a ten-year-old hate him.

"I'll make it clear. Hoshi hates you. Very much." The girl pointed her small forefinger towards the Uchiha. "You made a very big offense against me and also against Naruto-sama. Atone for your sins soon."

"Hoshi! Stop it! Don't play with people's minds!" Naruto snapped his fingers. The girl smiled at him and flopped down contentedly at his side. In response, Naruto ruffled the girl's hair, like a person would do to a cat or a dog. "I'll get my things now. No need to help me. Hoshi can handle it all." He said, glancing at Sasuke. "Okay, Hoshi. You bring the luggage to the apartment while Sasuke and I talk."

"Okay, Naruto-sama." Hoshi practically bounced herself up and skipped towards Naruto's room.

The Uchiha watched the girl walk past him, glaring with all his might. It didn't surprise him to see a similar glare being thrown at him. Only after he heard that soft click of Naruto's door closing did he sat beside the blonde. It was time to haggle. "What about the mission?"

Naruto's eyes crossed in confusion. "Mission? You mean the B-class one?" Sasuke nodded. "_That_ was a B-class mission: capturing trespassers. I asked Tsunade-baabaa for a different one but she gave the pay when we discussed about Hoshi. They still considered her as a trespasser."

"Who is she?" Sasuke gritted his teeth. The little girl was a bad omen. Not only was she the reason why Naruto was going to move to his own apartment, she's also the reason why Naruto _could_. She'll be there encouraging whatever hatred the blonde had for him.

A sigh escaped Naruto's lips. He leaned back and gazed at the ceiling. "She's a friend…though sometimes she's not. She's a very important…to me and to many…even to those who do not recognize her. I am bound to her as she is bound to me." He turned his gaze to Sasuke, eyes completely serious. "She can hear me as much as she can hear you. You don't need to hide anything because she'll know no matter what. Never take her for her physical appearance. Underneath the underneath, Sasuke." He chuckled, "Just like Kakashi-sensei."

Confusion flashed through his dark eyes. It was a riddle though he refused to believe that Naruto could even _create_ one. However, the warning was useless. He was already wary about the little girl. Intimidating the ANBU wasn't a feat achievable by mere citizens or shinobi. Add that to the fact that she sported shinobi wear without a hitai-ate. It was definitely something to be suspicious about.

What Sasuke couldn't understand was Naruto's treatment with the girl. If she was so dangerous, why protect her?

"Anyway, I'll be going now. Oh, and my apartment's address." Naruto threw a ball of crumpled paper onto Sasuke's lap. "If you ever decide to move in with me, my doors will be open. And don't worry about Hoshi. She'll leave after a half a dozen months or so."

Sasuke looked up, letting their eyes meet for a second. It was as though Naruto was telling him that his doors were always open.

"Uhm...see you later, Sasuke. Try to stop being an ass for this day, okay?" Naruto laughed, dodging the pillow Sasuke threw at his way. He gave a large wave and ran out of the apartment.

"Oi! What about your stuff?"

"Hoshi will take care of it!"

"Damn." Sasuke slammed the door shut. The ear-piercing ring of silence quickly attacked him. He noisily straightened the paper ball, quickly memorizing its contents. His footsteps were loud as he made his way to his room. He paused in front of Naruto's door. The door was slightly open but he could see nothing through that thin crack.

"That girl couldn't have finished moving _everything_." Sasuke tapped the door. It swung open with one long groan.

There was nothing left but empty closets left open by the move and a made bed with the white sheets and pillows it started with. Those dark blue sheets with the orange swirls were gone. The scattered scrolls and paper bags were cleaned away. Not a speck of dust was left in the room. It was as if Naruto never used it. Everything that made it 'Naruto' was…gone.

At that moment, he realized that Naruto had _indeed_ moved away.

He was alone once again.

- - -

It was like one horror film brought to life. There were no lost spirits haunting the living or creeping zombies that eat human flesh or a million versions of Dracula but the shock that struck the shinobi of Konoha was enough to make their souls pop out from their bodies.

"So he said it was female but I never expected…A LITTLE GIRL! WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD NARUTO BRING A LITTLE GIRL WITH HIM!" Kiba screamed, banging his head on the wall, "I can't believe we made a couple between Naruto and a ten-year-old! We're pedophiles!"

"NOOOO! WE'RE NOT!" Sakura shook her head vigorously. If it was something she would not let herself be named as, it was pedophile. There was _no way_ she could live such a title when the very word smells Orochimaru.

"You never confirmed with Naruto. The fault is your own." Shino shrugged his shoulders, watching the ants on the table crawl from one end to another. Across Aburame, Hinata sat in quiet agreement.

"Shut up, bugboy." Kiba growled.

Beside the medic nin, Ino sighed, "I don't really see why we're all so worked up about this. I _am_ as shocked as Sakura about the whole little girl thing but…thinking about it I don't see what's so wrong about Naruto taking care of a child."

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Haven't you heard? The little girl isn't even a _shinobi_! She's an _average_ citizen! And he brings the girl with him _during his missions_! Do you think _you_ could trust somebody like that with a child?" As she repeated her words in her mind, a pang of guilt bit her heart. She knew Naruto was more capable than what he let people see. As a close friend, she was supposed to support him but somehow, she couldn't think of putting a normal child in such danger.

"No, she's not a normal child." Shino turned his head to Sakura, "It has been going around the ANBU squad since the day after Naruto's promotion. That little girl chased away one of the council's elite squads. They were sent to watch Naruto from what I heard."

"But didn't Tsunade-sama lift the sentence already?" Hinata turned her worried eyes to Sakura, "Would the ANBU deliberately disobey the Hokage and prioritize the council?"

Kiba rolled his eyes, "The council's full of shit. They're just power-hungry dogs!" He growled and barked at Hinata to emphasize his point, "Like those wild dogs my clan captures and trains. Them slobbering beasts!"

"Despite the way you say it, I'd have to agree with you." Sakura shrugged, "You and your dog logic! Just make sure you don't bring that to bed! Poor Hinata would have to deal with you and your doggy habits." She snickered. She hugged the blushing Hinata, patting her back lightly, "Just kidding, Hinata-chan."

"Shino…did you hear anything about _how_ she chased the ANBU?" Ino inquired, leaning forward.

Shino shrugged, "They say they were pulled to her and that they felt she'd be dangerous to Konoha. I never asked them anything though. I thought they deserved being degraded like that. The council suspended them for a few months because of that failed mission. I doubt they'd send another team to watch Naruto with that girl around."

"That's good. I didn't want to keep looking out for them now that Hoshi's here."

"NARUTOOO!" Sakura stood up, waving her fist in the air, "YOU IDIOT! Where's the little girl?"

"Oh, I didn't notice you there, Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled gently, receiving a grin in return. In front of her, Kiba leaned to Shino and asked whether he noticed the blonde enter the restaurant, receiving a shake of a head in return.

"Hmm? Why, Sakura-chan? Would you like to Hoshi now?" Naruto shrugged his shoulders, moving towards the side of their table, "I guess kids are a female thing. You teach in the Academy, right Hinata? You must love kids as well." He grinned, making the Hyuuga heir blush. "Anyway, she should be here…somewhere."

"You idiot! How could you just leave a _fragile little girl_ like that in an unfamiliar village?" Sakura threw a punch towards Naruto. She was surprised when the blonde dodged. He always let her take a hit at him.

Naruto looked weirdly at the medic nin, "Uhm…Hoshi's not the least bit fragile. And the village is _far_ from being unfamiliar to her. And Konoha starts molding their children into shinobi at the age of what? 4? 5? So please stop acting like an overprotective mother because it's becoming scary."

"Naruto-sama." Just a few feet behind the blonde, the raven-haired little girl stood with her hands placed neatly in front of her. She smiled brightly towards Naruto then turned suspicious eyes towards Sakura and the rest. She ran towards Naruto's back, clutching his shirt as she peeked at the shinobi at the table. "Naruto-sama's tomodachi."

The blonde nodded, patting the head of the little girl, "Yes, Hoshi. They're friends. You be good to them, okay?"

"KYAAA!" Sakura and Ino squealed, pushing Naruto aside and grabbing the little girl by the hands. "Naruto! She's like an Uchiha-Uzumaki offspring! Are you _sure_ you haven't done _anything_ with Sasuke yet? Or maybe…." Sakura gasped, wide green eyes watching the blonde, "…It's Itachi, isn't it? How could you, Naruto? How could you _betray_ Sasuke like that?"

Naruto opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. He absent-mindedly let his hand fall on the table, trying to find something to throw towards the two females.

Ah, Sakura loved being the woman of the team. It was like being blessed with all the teasing rights in the world.

Hoshi shook her head, taking her hands out of Sakura and Ino's grasps with one large tug. She skipped towards Naruto and jumping onto his back, climbing onto his shoulders with ease. "Naruto-sama didn't do anything with any Uchiha." She rested her head on those blonde locks, "Hoshi knows all that Naruto-sama does and he don't do anything with any Uchiha yet. And once he does, it won't be with any Itachi."

The blonde placed a finger over his lips, ordering the little girl to keep quiet. "You're just like Sakura-chan!"

"No, no. I follow Naruto-sama. Just sometimes you don't think about own self. Only others. Only the rest." Hoshi shook her head, nuzzling Naruto's head like a little kitten.

Naruto sighed. He lifted Hoshi by the waist and placed her in front of him. "Go back to the apartment, okay? I'll talk with Sakura-chan first." He ruffled her hair, knocking on her forehead lightly before sending her away. As soon as Hoshi was gone, he turned to Sakura, throwing a vial at her way, "Hey, thanks for the thought but I didn't really use it. Sorry."

Sakura caught the vial between her pointer and middle finger, flipping it to her palm. "That's a good thing then. It must mean the mission didn't pose as much danger as I thought."

"Uhmm…about that…it's not that the mission ain't dangerous. Things are just easier and more efficient with Hoshi around." Naruto laughed, sitting down beside Shino and Kiba, "And don't give me that look, Sakura-chan! I'm sure you know that I always bring her with my missions. I can't have her stay here. It'll be dangerous for Konoha."

Kiba snorted, "_Dangerous_ for Konoha? You've just been gone for so long you're starting to doubt Konoha's shinobi!" he puffed his chest in pride, "A little girl won't trouble as at all much less give danger! Besides, she looks like she has decent manners unlike you when you were her age." He patted Naruto's back in assurance.

Naruto shrugged his shoulders, ignoring everything that Kiba just said. He kept his eyes focused on Sakura and said, "So thanks for helping me with the missions but you don't need to bother with the vials. I'll be fine on my own. Besides, Hoshi might use them for something else especially since there are rules to follow." He stood up, smiling at the medic nin. "Anyway, I should get going. I'll see you around guys. And I'll see _you_ on the jounin exams." He flicked a finger towards Ino who just shooed him away.

"I don't see it well." Hinata whispered as soon as Naruto had left, "I don't see Hoshi-san well with the Byakuugan. It's just like Naruto-kun's but with her around, Naruto-kun's chakra highways are as clear as everybody else's."

It had already worried them when neither Hinata nor Neji could see Naruto's chakra channels. Some places were blurry while others were clear. Sometimes, there were portions missing or the flow of chakra is reversed or there is no chakra at all. It was as though Naruto's system was fluctuating. Shikamaru suggested that there might be some sort of jutsu causing that but as far as they know, there was no jutsu that could make the Byakuugan malfunction.

"Well…if Naruto trusts that girl, then she's not much of a danger, ne? After all, he won't bring danger to Konoha deliberately…right?" Ino asked. She may not know Naruto much but she knew how protective the fox was to the village. He's aiming to be Hokage for crying out loud!

"Dunno. If I was him, I wouldn't waste my time on this village. Konoha isn't really that friendly with him, you know. And five years is a long time, he might've changed his mind. Who knows?" Kiba shrugged, putting his arms behind his head.

Silence met them afterwards. Then Shino broke it, "She's not human."

"Who? You mean that girl…?" Shino nodded.

None of them tried to rebut the statement that Shino made. They had become close through the years and if there was one thing they knew about the insect master, it was that everything he says is solid…and most likely true.

"If she's not human, then…what is she?"

- - -

The jounin exams were to be held three months after the chuunin exams, just around the end of October. It was held so that newly promoted chuunin would not be brash enough to get to the next rank. Those who do try the jounin exams fail their first and last chance: they die. But Uzumaki Naruto was not like other chuunin. For him, the chuunin exams were child's play so he was looking forward to the jounin exams. Not only that, he couldn't stand seeing Sasuke take all the S-class missions he was drooling to get.

"Sasuke-kun! You came!" Ino latched herself onto one of the brunette's arm. "Ara? You brought some bento!" she grabbed the stacked up bento boxes and rushed to the picnic blanket, opening the boxes in excitement. Hinata and Tenten leaned over to see the contents. Shikamaru and Chouji weren't interested in anything the ladies were gushing about.

"Did you cook them, Sasuke-kun? Did you? For me?" Ino may not have a crush on the Uchiha anymore but she still wanted to receive gifts from him. It was a sign of…uhm…_good fortune_.

Sasuke shrugged. He really didn't want to go to such get-togethers but the blonde had somehow bribed him into it. Sakura had arranged a meeting…which turned into a picnic…to help Naruto and Ino prepare for the upcoming jounin exams. It was also a ploy to get everyone to think about Naruto's birthday next week. It was also the Kyuubi Festival.

There were only a few people in the group who knew about Kyuubi and Naruto: Sakura, Sasuke, Shino, Neji and most probably Shikamaru. Sakura was the only person who was told by Naruto himself about the Kyuubi. Shino and Neji learned it from the ANBU squad and the council. Sasuke…heard from Orochimaru. Shikamaru was smart enough to find out on his own but spreading the news would be too troublesome.

"I thought you wouldn't bring them at all!" Naruto caught the keys thrown towards him. He shoved them into his pocket and turned to Ino, shouting, "OI! DON'T TOUCH MY BENTO!" he looked back at Sasuke, ignoring the yelling protests of the other blonde.

"You could've had that little girl take them here." Sasuke sighed.

Naruto shook his head, "No, it's not that. You just seemed to be avoiding my apartment so I figured I should do something to make you go there. Glad to see you're not allergic to it." He patted the brunette's back lightly. "Anyway, want to spar before Sakura-chan drags us to that picnic of hers?"

With a smirk, Sasuke flipped a kunai from his holster – an answer to the challenge. It had been a long time since they had a spar and though neither of them would say it, they had missed the feel of hearing their kunai clash, the feel of dancing to a rhythm only they could hear.

Sasuke cracked his neck, onyx orbs melting into the distinctive red of the sharingan. He shifted his weight to the back in a defensive stance in knowledge that the blonde would initiate the battle.

Naruto grinned at his opponent. He stretched his back and his arms, drawing circles with his shoulders. His feet moved to find his equilibrium as he crouched down low enough that his head could touch the ground in one bow. "I've been waiting to fight since the chuunin exams, Sasuke, but you're damn hard to catch when you're very popular among the clients."

"Well, I'm an efficient shinobi unlike _some_ people out there."

Naruto swung his arm, throwing perfect shuriken projectiles towards the Uchiha. "Teme! Let the battle do the fighting for you!"

With a couple of back flips, Sasuke dodged the attack, "At least your throwing skills have gotten better." He sprung himself towards Naruto, swiping at his feet with one kick which was dodged with ease. With one spin, the brunette followed with a flip-kick, successfully hitting the blonde on the spine with his heel. Then a comical poof mocked his attack. It was a Kage Bunshin.

The sharingan swirled as he jerked his head upwards, seeing the javelin kick that was coming his way, aiming for his head. He pushed himself to the side, throwing shuriken to his previous position only to have them embedded on a log. Letting his body follow the rhythm they were playing, he jumped away hands quickly repeating seals from memory. "_Doton: Doryuudan_." A dragon made out of mud erupted from the ground.

Big clouds of smoke showed the defeat of Kage Bunshin. "_Suiton: Suishouha_." Water condensed above the Uchiha, getting him and the ground around soaking wet. The chakra used with the jutsu wasn't meant to damage at all. Sasuke looked at Naruto, wondering what made him hold out on something he obviously had plenty of.

A spark of lightning snaked towards the Uchiha. It was a low class Raiton but with the Suiton, it was effective.

Sasuke smirked, quickly running through his favorite type of jutsu. "_Katon: Karyuu Endan_." The heat from the fire dragon rid his clothes of all moisture and battled the sparks of lightning sent his way. Clouds of dust gobbled the shinobi as their techniques clashed.

Focusing chakra on his feet, he jumped up to avoid the decrease of visibility caused by the dust cloud. His sharingan scanned for Naruto's chakra. He took a deep breath, cheeks puffing slightly as he contained the oxygen in his mouth. "_Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu_." A stream of flames swam towards Naruto.

The smoke cleared and the sharingan met with resolute blue eyes. Naruto smirked, clenching and unclenching his right hand. Sasuke saw the blonde raise his hand and make a grabbing action towards the flames sent his way. The brunette wasn't sure what happened next. The dust covered his view of Naruto as soon as his feet felt the ground. He hoped that Naruto didn't do anything stupid and dangerous.

A strong gust of wind blew away the mud-colored clouds, revealing an unscathed Naruto, much to the relief of Sasuke. Beside the blonde was a good part of the foliage burnt to ashes: Sasuke's Katon.

Instead of bragging his skills, Naruto remained silent and stomped towards the Uchiha, upset eyes looking at Sasuke's way…past Sasuke…. "Don't—! SASUKE!"

Sasuke felt his body become heavy…as though there was something pulling him down to the ground. He tried to resist but found that he couldn't control any part of his body. The side of his face hit the earth hard. A sickle embedded itself barely a centimeter from Sasuke's nose. He followed the chain attached to the handle and saw pale hands, short wavy dark hair and icy blue eyes: Hoshi.

Sasuke could neither feel her knees nor her weight. Something must be making him numb…or it was the girl herself.

"You're a danger to Naruto-sama." The sickle was raised up once again…ready for one last strike.

* * *

After much thought about my OC, I decided that she's not really a character per se…. She's more of an embodiment of a force that has always existed in the life of a shinobi. Uhm…you'll find out in the other chapters…a long time from now. Chapters IV to VIII are mainly used for preparation. Wars don't happen without opinions. Diseases never come without symptoms. 

My dearest reviewers:) **Aki no Yume1**, **Rikouchan**, **TheDragonOfDarkness001**, **Cassidy**, **anonymous**, **Ky0Kichi**, **Randomunit02**, **quaebah24**, **(reviewer-with-no-alias)**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **Katio**, **tishu**

And my drawing of the OC: **www .deviantart .com/deviation/27455245/** (just remove the spaces) Dedicated to Randomunit02, (reviewer-with-no-alias) and Katio. 

If you review, do leave an alias. It's kinda hard to write your name when there's nothing to write. Most likely I'll come up with something unusual like invisible-review, you-who-did-not-put-name or something like that XDXDXD


	9. VIII : Falling with Wings

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru, LeeSaku(?), KibaHina(?)

**Disclaimer:** Grab a random online dictionary or encyclopedia. Search for "Fanfiction". Enough said.

**Note:** I promise you. After this chapter, I'll answer some of the questions I put in the other chapters. Random outburst: OF COURSE I'M NOT GONNA KILL SASUKE! XD

* * *

**VIII. Falling with Wings**

"Get the fuck away from him, Hoshi." Naruto slammed his palm onto the little girl's chest, sending her flying like a pebble in the air. She landed in straight posture a few feet away from the Uchiha, the sickle disappearing into thin air in the same manner as it appeared.

He offered his hand to Sasuke but whatever jutsu was placed on him was still holding him down. Naruto glared at Hoshi and spat, "Release him, Hoshi."

The girl cocked her head to one side as though asking what it was she needed to do.

"_Release him_."

Hoshi turned around, shrugging her shoulders.

"Aah." Sasuke took a sharp intake, pushing himself up with Naruto's hand for support. From the picnic blanket, Sakura rushed to his side with Ino following her best friend hesitantly. The stir the girl made was so big that even Shikamaru was forced to stand up and react. They all felt it. They all felt that that little girl was going to kill the Uchiha without any hesitation…and they can't do anything to stop her.

Sakura passed her a green glowing hand on Sasuke's chest, checking for any abnormalities Hoshi caused. She glanced at the girl warily before focusing on the patient in front of her. "Are you okay, Sasuke-kun? Do you feel any different?"

The brunette shook his head, pushing away Sakura's hand. "I'm fine. You worry too much."

"HOW CAN I NOT WORRY! We don't even know who this girl is!" She pointed at Hoshi, "Who knows what kind of…what kind of _monstrosities_ she carries! SHE'S NOT EVEN HUMAN!" She didn't care about Naruto's opinion anymore. Being a medic nin taught her that every contact from anything unknown could result in disaster.

"Stop it, Sakura." Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, pressing lightly to try to calm her down. "Don't say those things about Hoshi. She's not a bad person. She just follows…different rules."

But Sakura wasn't in the mood to listen to Naruto's vague reasoning. "I trust you, Naruto…but…that's not something I could give to some little girl that just pops out of _nowhere_." She waved a hand, "She just has to go."

Naruto frowned. He snapped his fingers and Hoshi quickly came to his side. "Go back to the apartment. Stay there until I say so." He said strictly. The girl nodded and ran out of them without as much as glance. Cold, angry eyes stared at Sakura's fearful green. "Your judgment is too harsh, too prejudicial. If there's anything you wish to say against Hoshi and I, then we should bring it up to the Hokage first thing tomorrow morning."

"Naruto, I—"

Sasuke shot Sakura a look that told her to keep quiet. "Let it go. It doesn't matter. There are no injuries."

"Yeah, that's right. You're supposed to help us train for the jounin exams, ne?" Naruto smiled softly, shaking his head as though to remove every ounce of seriousness he carried a while ago. "So…do you want to eat first?"

Sakura watched as Naruto pulled Sasuke to the picnic blanket. She felt guilt eating at her. She knew she went too far back then. Naruto had trusted them to _trust_ that little girl. By deciding to make the girl go away, it was like shooing Naruto away as well. And that happy-go-lucky attitude she received only made it worse. With a long sigh, she followed the blonde to the blanket, an apology hanging at the tip of her tongue.

"I cooked the bento!" Naruto proudly proclaimed as each of them took a bit from the box. "Hmm? Why the long faces? You looked like you've seen a ghost or something!" He laughed.

"We just saw a ten-year-old incapacitate _the_ Uchiha Sasuke, a ten-year-old that you yourself brought here, one that's not human even." Chouji pointed out.

Ino nodded, "I've been wondering about that for a while. She looks human enough but the byakuugan can't even see her! How safe can she be when you yourself kept telling us she's a danger to Konoha?"

Naruto placed his chopsticks on his lap, "I'm not denying that she's not human. You'll learn what she is eventually. Everybody does in the end." He sighed, "She _can_ be a danger to Konoha. But she won't be…if her rules aren't violated. She's not human. You said it yourself. Therefore, she cannot lie."

Sasuke looked at Naruto. There was that unreadable expression again. He was smiling yet his eyes held so much sorrow…so much of so many things that Sasuke couldn't figure out those windows to his soul anymore. He frowned. It was during these times that he felt how little he knew of the blonde.

"But…the rules…what _are_ the rules?" Ino inquired, speaking for Sakura.

Naruto smiled, "To gain something you must first give."

- - -

"I don't understand. How could you let _her_ inside this village? Do you even know that she's not human!" Sakura pulled her hair in frustration. As Naruto suggested, she went straight to the Hokage first thing the next morning but the response she received threw her into hysterics. Not only was the Hokage calm about the situation but she seemed to take Naruto's side. Is she the only one out there who was cautious about such a suspicious character?

Tsunade sighed. She didn't want to deal with Sakura and that worrywart attached to her that just keeps growing every time she encounters something unfamiliar. "Information like that is classified, Haruno-san. It's dangerous for you to keep it. I suggest you forget whatever accusation you have against Hoshi-san."

"You don't understand, Tsunade-sama."

"I understand perfectly, Haruno-san. In my opinion, too much time in the shinobi hospital has caused to be paranoid. How much damage could a ten-year-old cause to one of Konoha's best?"

"She's not human. She may be capable of things that I could only dream about."

The Hokage narrowed her eyes towards the medic nin. It was a habit she gained from intimidating people. "I think, Haruno-san, that you need to rest. A vacation sounds nice, doesn't it? It would give you time to prepare for whatever you wish to do on the gaki's birthday." She grabbed a pen and paper and started scribbling. She folded the letter neatly and handed it to Sakura.

Sakura looked at the Hokage's seal imprinted on the paper. With an uncertain hand, she touched the letter, eyes trying to convince her sensei to reconsider. But she saw only cold and hard eyes staring back at her. She sighed in defeat and took the letter, crumpling it slightly between her fingers.

"Spend this time thinking about your actions."

"Hai, Tsunade-sama." Sakura bowed and left the office, her eyes watering at the sight of letter. Tsunade was her only choice if she wanted to Hoshi to be watched. There was the council but she knew that if she went to them, Naruto would also be dragged into the situation. Not only that, she didn't think she could keep her temper in front of the council.

"Why did Tsunade-sama push me away?"

"You ever pause to think that maybe she couldn't?"

Sakura jerked her head to her left. "Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"

"Meh. Just a troublesome report." The lazy genius waved the folder in his hand before throwing it onto the counter. "So you really did go and complain to the Hokage, huh. If I were you, I wouldn't even bother."

The medic nin laughed, "But you never bother yourself with anything if you could help it."

Shikamaru just shrugged.

"Thanks." Sakura smiled, "I would've gone on a village rampage if you hadn't come and well…be Shikamaru."

"You women are too troublesome, too complicated to bother with." Shikamaru shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away. He wasn't about to discuss anything with a paranoid medic nin in the Hokage tower.

"Spill." Sakura declared as soon as they were away from the tower.

"Hokage-sama knows."

"Hmm? What do you mean she knows?"

Shikamaru grumbled. He didn't like explaining his conclusions to other people. It would create too many questions and would cost too much time. "She knows about…Hoshi, was it? More than all of us. Maybe as much as Naruto. She did approve of that girl's stay here, right? So she obviously knows."

Sakura frowned. "If Tsunade-sama knows, then _why_ isn't she doing _anything_ about it?"

"Maybe she can't." Shikamaru leaned back, falling on the concrete surface his favorite cloud-watching place. "We all know that Hoshi isn't human. I'm sure Naruto knows about it. That might just be the reason why Hokage-sama can't make her leave."

"Then we have to know _what_ she is." Sakura stood up, "I'll ask Naruto."

"Wait, wait, wait." The lazy genius motioned for her to come back. "Don't you think that if Naruto wanted to tell, he would've already? Take the Kyuubi, for example. He never told any of us about the demon. Well, only you but that was because you were dealing with the Akatsuki at that time."

With a sigh, the medic nin fell beside Shikamaru. "Then…that little girl…has something to do with the Kyuubi?"

Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders. "She definitely came from wherever Naruto disappeared to."

"ARGH!" Sakura pulled her hair in frustration, "Why did Naruto have to disappear in the first place? It's more _complicated_ than memorizing the human anatomy." She sighed, taking deep long breaths to calm herself. "Any ideas about the little girl?"

"Naruto said that we'll all find out in the 'end'." Shikamaru watched the clouds pass lazily across the blue skies, "Something that all shinobi find at the end. Maybe at the end alone because…there are rules to follow."

Sakura jolted upright. "At the end…?" she stood up, eyes focusing on the silhouette of the shinobi hospital. She turned to Shikamaru, "Thanks. I think…I'll do with that." She smiled, "You know, you're getting less and less lazy every time I talk to you. If only you could try to pull that into your actions." She laughed then raced off the rooftop…straight to Konoha's Libraries.

"Meh…. Women. So troublesome."

- - -

There was only a two-day wait before the Kyuubi Festival. The streets of Konoha were filled with people preparing stands for the upcoming celebration while the Academy students and the newly appointed genin teams were putting up the lights and streamers across the rooftops.

Inside the Hokage tower, security plans were being revised again and again. Some of the participants for the jounin exam had decided to come early to familiarize themselves with the village. The festival itself had caused most of the shinobi to relax, take breaks and whatnot. It was during these times that the security becomes loose and unauthorized citizens and shinobi infiltrate the village with ease.

"So…how many guard duties did you get?"

Kiba looked down, pressing his chin between his forefinger and thumb. "Bah! I don't know anymore! They're too many to count!" he ruffled his own hair, screaming his stress to the world. He growled to himself, shoulders slumped. "It's a good thing Hokage-sama's giving us a day off on the night of Naruto's birthday or I'd die."

Ino rolled her eyes. "You just say that because you're a jounin. Us chuunin are stuck with guard duties _all_ the time. It's about time you get out there and bore yourself to death."

Kiba sneered, "Hehe. You're just sore because you didn't pass the jounin exams last year and the year before that and the—"

"Shut up before I go shintenshin on you and make Hinata avoid you for life."

"Damn. Women today become more evil everyday." Kiba crossed his arms. "Don't pour your anger out on me. We're both stuck with guard duties. Take out on the one that doesn't share the same fate."

Kiba and Ino turned to their backs, eyes focused on Shino.

"ANBU don't get guard duties. We're assigned to scout around Konoha." Shino shrugged.

"Che. ANBU always get better missions than us."

"Hey, isn't that Hinata?" Ino pointed, choosing to pay attention to the Hyuuga heir rather than Kiba and his ranting.

Hinata stood in front of Naruto's apartment. Her eyes were focused on the closed windows of the unit. In her hands was a basket of fruits.

"HINATA-CHAN!" Kiba rushed to Hinata. If he had a tail, he would be wagging it excitedly already.

"Oh. Kiba-kun. Ino-chan. Shino-kun. Good afternoon." Hinata bowed, "This _is_ Naruto-kun's apartment, right?"

Ino nodded, grabbing the basket from her hands. "Why? Is this an early birthday gift?"

The Hyuuga heir blushed, shaking her head vigorously. "No. It's not from me. It's from the Academy. Some of my students – the ones that were just made into genin – wanted me to give this to Naruto-kun since they didn't know where he lived. I never thought that Naruto-kun knew the students from the Academy. He never mentioned it to me."

Yamanaka nodded slowly, "If that's the case, then what are we waiting for? Let's go visit that fox!" She waved the basket in the air, making some of the fruits fall. Shino caught them and put them back on the basket.

"Are you sure it's okay for you to come? Aren't you busy with the guard duties?"

Kiba scowled. It wasn't just the ANBU that were excused from that boring excuse for a mission. The Academy teachers also didn't receive any. "No, no, Hinata-chan! It's okay! Besides, I still don't know what to give that idiot. I'll probably just ask him if he wants anything."

"Ah, arigatou, Kiba-kun."

The four – well, two of them. Ino and Shino decided to leave for reasons unknown – made their way upstairs. Hinata knocked lightly on the door. No one answered. She knocked again, louder this time but still, no one came to the door.

"Hmm…maybe he's not home." Hinata cocked her head to a side, looking at Kiba with worried eyes.

"OI! NARUTO! YOU HOME?" Kiba kicked the door and pounded both of his fists on the wood. His racket received no reply, just like Hinata did. He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess he's not. Wonder where he went…training, maybe? You know how obsessed he is. Just like Uchiha."

Hinata chuckled, "Do you think I could drop it off at Uchiha-san's place instead? If I bring this home, someone would most likely eat it. Letting Uchiha-san keep it would almost guarantee its arrival to Naruto-kun's hands."

"Well, I guess we could try. Let's just hope that bastard ain't in his bastard mood yet."

- - -

When Sasuke was asked to give a basket of fruits to Naruto, he wanted to laugh his ass off for two reasons: one, he was _asked_ to be a delivery boy; two, it was a basket of fruits. Basket of fruits and Naruto just can't seem to fit well in his head. But he could not let his pride go especially when it's in front of the Hyuuga heir and the number one male gossip.

So he gave his stoic face, raised an eyebrow, accepted the request and slammed the door in front of their face. Message: Leave MY Uchiha grounds.

The treatment was harsh especially since Hinata had answered the one question he wanted to ask but never did: why not give it to Naruto himself? The Hyuuga heir had mentioned that the blonde wasn't home. It's not that it was his business to know things about Naruto but he did know that the blonde would either be home or somewhere out there training. Naruto's schedule had become like that just when Hoshi came. He skipped the visit-friends-and-talk-about-nothing part.

Not that Uchiha Sasuke was taking note, mind you.

The basket of fruits could wait for another day.

Uchiha Sasuke didn't like delivering stuff for others. Most of the time, it was others delivering stuff for him. So, he decided to drop the basket to Naruto's first thing in the morning. After all the hygienic routines of course.

"Oi, dobe!" Sasuke knocked impatiently. After having the blonde in his house for around half a year, he knew that Naruto had dropped the waking-up-late habit and replaced it with the so-early-waking-it-seems-like-I-was-never-asleep-in-the-first-place one.

He scowled when the door was left unanswered. Training this early – it's 7:00 in the morning! – wasn't an option either. Naruto wouldn't leave without making breakfast especially with that little girl with him. Oh, he knew that Hoshi isn't human. Not when his sharingan couldn't work properly with her. But despite the non-human factor, he figured that no one could create a decent amount of chakra with an empty stomach.

Sasuke's patience was never great with the blonde and the lack of response from his incessant knocking. "I'm busting in!" he forced the door open with one strong side kick, almost taking it off the hinges.

He went in the unit, closing the door with yet another kick. He dropped off basket onto the dinner table and peeked into the kitchen. His nose smelled nothing of Naruto's cooking. Sasuke shook his head. It wasn't a good thing for him to think that every time something went out of routine, Naruto would disappear.

Sasuke wondered if Naruto was still asleep. He made a beeline to the bedroom the blonde was using. He took a deep breath before entering the room. Surprise caught him when he saw the neat Naruto room, _neat_. As though no one had used it.

A flash of worry passed his eyes but he wasn't about to make assumptions when he hadn't searched the whole apartment yet. So he went to the other rooms, looking inside the bathroom and the closets that he only saw at this visit. The last time he went inside Naruto's apartment, he had stayed in the living room and kitchen. He found no need to go out and "explore" the apartment – that was what Naruto would do, not Uchiha Sasuke.

With a long disappointed sigh, he made his way back to the dinner table. "Where the hell are you, Naruto?" He grabbed an apple from the basket and bit off a large chunk from its green skin.

"Naruto-sama always leaves during this time of the year."

Sasuke pivoted. His sharingan flared at the figure crouched behind the basket on the table. It was that little girl, Hoshi.

"Naruto-sama always visits at this time. He says that since he's the only one that can, he should at least make it yearly." Hoshi smiled, causing the Uchiha to feel tense, "He usually leaves on the day itself. Naruto-sama just has another reason this time around." For a moment, she glared at the Uchiha then that annoyingly happy smile shone on her face again.

Sasuke deactivated his bloodline. It was useless to scan somebody like Hoshi with his sharingan. As he kept wary eyes at the little girl, he repeated what she just said in his mind. Sasuke scowled. He didn't like the sound of it. Naruto was not here…neither is he in _that_ place – the place that he and many others are dying to find out – because it was a visit, not a stay. And the reason why he left yet again…is it…is it because of Sasuke?

"Don't kid yourself, human." Hoshi interrupted his thoughts, "Not everything Naruto-sama does is because of you…though most of the time it is. Not in this round though but it does have something to do with Konoha. It's always been…_Konoha_." She spat the name of the village in anger, "Things that this village deserves not."

He didn't like how the conversation was going. The little girl was entertaining his questions, even questions that he hasn't said in words yet. As far as he knew, this girl hated him. She wanted him dead. "How can I know you're not tricking me?"

Hoshi chuckled, smiling at the Uchiha, "Hoshi isn't human unlike you. Hoshi never lies. You've never seen a beast lie his way out of stealing your livestock. It's the same with Hoshi." She shrugged, "Lying is a human flaw."

"Then why are you telling me this? I'm not an alien to hate. You wouldn't do this for me."

A stern frown replaced that unreal smile on the little girl's face. "Because Naruto-sama never does anything for Hoshi's sake. Because Naruto-sama always thinks of Konoha. Because Naruto-sama always thinks of _you_." Her blue eyes met with Sasuke's black ones, "And the only way I could stop him from giving too much is through you. So you have to know about the things that Naruto-sama would not tell, would _never_ tell."

"Uchiha Sasuke, stop Naruto-sama before he has nothing left to give."

* * *

Actually, 7am in the morning isn't early. I wake up at 6am every day, 4:45 when there's school because my classes start at 7:30. 

Hoshi's kinda weird, don't you think? She almost killed Sasuke and now she's telling him to stop Naruto. I kinda like it when Naruto prioritizes Sasuke over her. Ah, the joys of bashing your own OC! XD

Anyway, I'll tell where Naruto disappeared to on the next chapter. For the five-year one and the Kyuubi festival. Yes, they're different. Anyone want to guess the reasons for Naruto's disappearance? There are clues in the other chapters. You can look for them if you want. Try to be specific. If you guess it right…uhm…of course I'll tell you and…I don't know…would you like a one-shot dedicated to you? Just a prize :D

Reviewers! **RuByMoOn17**, **Ky0Kichi**, **Icy Sapphire15**, **Cassidy**, **Kyorocks34**, **Hayaku**, **Naaja** and **tishu**

On a happy note, this fic has finally gained more than 10,000 hits! It's the first fic I posted so it's a happy thing! XP


	10. IX : Followed by Shadows

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Grab a random online dictionary or encyclopedia. Search for "Fanfiction". Enough said.

**Note:** The moment of truth has come! Slap me if I'm lame XDXDXD

* * *

**IX. Followed By Shadows**

"We have tolerated Uzumaki Naruto for too long already. If you're letting your personal relationship with such a shinobi get the better of you, then I believe it is time for us to choose a new Hokage."

Tsunade glared at the members of the council. "No, I believe _I_ am being fair. A shinobi will not be marked as a missing nin until a week's time has passed and we receive no contact whatsoever from the said shinobi. And if you are looking for _my_ successor, then I believe he is the one you're trying to throw away."

"If it was any other shinobi, we would've extended the days if needed but this is Uzumaki Naruto we're talking about. He is a _jinchuuriki_, Tsunade. He cannot be left to roam free. Heaven knows what will happen to us if we let him!" Koharu spoke. She had been in the council ever since Sarutobi was still in power. She did not have enough power to overcome the Sandaime but she was sure she could persuade the Godaime.

Beside the old lady sat Homura. He was whole-heartedly agreeing with Koharu's statement. "Yes, we need to mark him as soon as possible. Tonight is the Kyuubi Festival. Who knows what how much it would affect the seal!"

But the Godaime had a will of steel. She will not let old geezers defeat her over something she knows is unfair. "The seal…is intact. The Kyuubi is nothing to worry about! And I'm not even asking you to extend the time limit!" she pounded a fist on the tea table, "All I'm asking is that you grant him the same treatment as you would any other shinobi."

Koharu looked at Homura then faced the Godaime, "If after seven days Uzumaki Naruto has not made contact or returned, then you will allow us to list him as an S-class missing nin."

Tsunade paused, "It is fair judgment."

"Then our discussion is over." The council members stood up, exiting the meeting room with their own set of ANBU guards.

"Damnit, Naruto. You better come back before your time is over." The Hokage massaged her temple with her right hand. She hadn't expected Naruto to disappear once again. It was Sasuke who informed her of the blonde's status. It was Hoshi who stopped the search parties Tsunade had almost dispatched. The two had come into her office just as she was on her way to summoning the blonde.

Tsunade wanted to grab someone's head and smash it on something solid when she learned of the disappearance. She had kept it a secret but the council's ANBU had found out and at the blink of an eye, they were on her case, demanding proper judgment.

She looked to her right and saw Hoshi perched at the edge of the seat. It wasn't a surprise to see the girl there. After all, she's…all-seeing…in a way.

"Came to see the council?"

Hoshi cocked her head to a side, blinking. She smiled then nodded. "Hoshi will make sure they don't try anything against Naruto-sama."

Tsunade smiled back. Hoshi was useful when it comes to watching out for people who go against Naruto. Her loyalty to the blonde surpassed that of any human…but then, she isn't human in the first place. And that was what gave her the ability to watch the council without getting caught.

So far, Hoshi had passed everything she learned to the Hokage. But Tsunade knew that such services will last only until Naruto's return. She had no power over the little girl. Her commands are never followed.

"Naruto-sama will be back by tomorrow's time."

Tsunade sighed in relief. Hoshi was definitely useful.

- - -

The streets were full of people partying and enjoying the festival. The children were wearing plastic masks similar to those of the ANBU as they ran from stall to stall, trying their luck out in the games. At the center of the town stood a small stage where shinobi reenacted the infamous battle between the Yondaime and the Kyuubi.

Away from the main streets and the ruckus it held, the cluster of buildings were dead. The owners and residents of the buildings had all decided to take a day off for the festival. All except one.

The lights from one of the apartments was like a lantern to those who were lost. It stood up like white house cat hiding in a group of black husky puppies. There was supposed to be a party in that unit but the celebrant had decided to disappear for the occasion…which led to the disappearance of the guests as well. They had either gone to the festival or exchanged guard duties with other shinobi.

A sigh escaped from Sakura's lips. Another from Ino. And yet another from Tenten.

"So much for all the preparations we made for Naruto's party." Tenten sighed…once again. "He's not even here to enjoy it. Tell me, Sakura. Does he _always_ disappear like this?"

Ino nodded, "Yeah. I understand why he disappeared when Sasuke-kun was still with Orochimaru. He went to get back Sasuke-kun but with that over and done with, why leave?"

Sakura shrugged, "I don't know. I'm just happy that Tsunade-sama and Sasuke-kun are calm about it. If not, then it would mean that Naruto's in deep trouble. But…" she ran a finger across the streamers. With a groan, she grabbed the decorations and threw them onto the floor, "Why did he have to vanish _now_? Sometimes I think it's _my_ fault he went away."

"Don't say that, Sakura!" Ino said as she helped Tenten pick up the decorations, "Why would it be _your_ fault?"

"Maybe it was because I tried to throw him out of the village by protesting about Hoshi." Sakura shook her head, "I should've put more faith in Naruto, ne? He's never let us down. Well, except for his party." She snorted.

Tenten placed the décor on the table, standing them upright. "It's strange, don't you think? Naruto disappeared and no one's looking for him. I'm sure Sasuke would've gone after him no matter what but he seemed…"

"Bland?" Ino suggested.

"Yes, something like that. Almost as if he couldn't go after Naruto."

Sakura stared blankly at the two. "It's her. It must be because of her. There's nobody else. She's stopping Sasuke like she's stopping Tsunade-sama."

Ino groaned, "What do you have against Hoshi, Sakura? Yes, I know she's not human and all that suspicious stuff but for crying out loud! You don't have to blame _everything_ to her! You're acting like an obsessed stalker! Over a ten-year-old at that!" She threw her arms in the air, flailing them in an attempt to look intimidating.

"She's not human but do you know what she is?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes in confusion, "What do you mean? Did you find out _what_ she is? I've seen you spend your time at the library ever since Tsunade-sama forced you to take a leave. You found something?"

"Oh, she's horrible." Sakura put her palm on her face, shaking her head in horror. Her voice was watery and full of fear. Ino and Tenten sat around her as she slid down to the stool behind her. "I never thought I'd regret to find out but the whole thing just makes me fear ever finding out what happened to Naruto during those five years!"

"Sakura, maybe it's not that bad. You know you're always too paranoid when it comes to Naruto and Sasuke." Ino chuckled nervously. She looked at Tenten, willing her to agree.

The medic nin sighed. "Shikamaru gave me the clues. I looked it up in the library. I even sneaked into the forbidden sections because the librarian wouldn't let me near them, telling me that Tsunade-sama banned me." She lifted her shaking hands to lips, "She's a killer, Ino, Tenten. She's the one that takes away the life of those shinobi I couldn't save in the hospital."

Ino and Tenten looked at each other worriedly. Maybe it was just the stress taking Sakura's nerves that's why she was acting like that.

"Sakura, maybe you should rest." Tenten squeezed her shoulders, "You've been through too much."

But Sakura wasn't about to give up, "We need to make Tsunade-sama, Sasuke-kun…everyone…to stay away from her! Especially Naruto!" She gripped Tenten's clothes, turning fearful eyes at her, "I've tried to see it some other way but it all end up with the same thing! She's…she's…that girl…."

Ino gave the medic nin a hug, "Sakura, you're tired. Do rest."

"She's a god of death…a _shinigami_."

"Are you…are you _sure_? Isn't that impossible…? Shinigami can't be seen by any human beings because seeing one means death. And none of us have died during all the times we've seen her." Ino questioned. She couldn't see how a little girl like Hoshi could be something that was used by adults to scare children away.

Sakura shook her head, "I don't know why we're still alive but I'm sure she's a shinigami. Maybe she's letting us live because of Naruto or maybe because she's just waiting for her chance." She sighed, "I hope she hasn't done anything dreadful to Naruto. I just can't see why Naruto would have something like her with him."

"You know what, Sakura. You should let that fear go." Tenten smiled, putting her hands on the medic nin's shoulders, "You worry too much. Just let go. Put your faith in Naruto. Just believe in his loyalty to Konoha and to his friends. He never let you down before so why should he do so now?"

The medic nin smiled, "You're right. I should place my trust in him. He'll never hurt us."

- - -

Sasuke stared at his ceiling, listening to the crickets outside. It was midnight and he had been lying on his bed for two hours. The festival held none of his interest. There were people and noise and excessive lights. Most of all, they were celebrating something he believed should be treated with solemnity and caution.

He hadn't left the Uchiha compound the whole day, choosing isolation rather than being hounded by questions or socializing. The words Hoshi gave him were still on his mind. It was like an echo that never ended, an echo that made him ask so much, never receiving answers. It was torture.

He wondered if this was what Naruto felt when no one would answer him.

With a sigh, Sasuke threw his covers off him and stood up. He grabbed a jacket from his closet and went out of his house. A walk might do him good…despite that it was midnight.

"It's already tomorrow, Naruto. Where are you?" He whispered to the moon. Hoshi had visited him early in the morning, telling him about Naruto's day of return. He'd never say it but having that girl appear without warning into his house was a big blow to his ego. He just blames it on the lack of human abilities.

His footsteps led him to the lake where the crescent moon was reflected perfect on the waters, like a humongous mirror in the midst of the clearing. A smile chanced to play on his lips. This was the place where he and Naruto had first sparred ever since he returned. Made a fool out of the whole thing too.

A soft wave rippled the reflection of the moon on the surface. Sasuke's trained eyes quickly scanned for the cause. At the middle of the lake, he saw a shadow snake on the surface. He moved forward to see the image better. The cool waters of the lake licked at his toes as he used his chakra to walk on the surface.

The strand of black pushed away the waters as it grew in both size and number. The water around it boiled, creating a light mist around them.

Sasuke went closer, squinting his eyes for a better view.

The shadows lashed out like numerous fox tails. They wrapped around one another, squeezing until it was condensed enough to a small figure. Then it stopped moving. At the base, there was a constant ripple forming and disappearing as it grew large enough to touch Sasuke's feet.

In a second's flash, the tails retreated to the shoulder of the figure. The shadows clung to the figure in desperation, tugging at the wrists, neck and clothes as though it was trying to drag its prisoner to where they came from.

In horror, Sasuke watched. It was similar to the time when he Naruto had first disappeared in front of him. Unconsciously, his sharingan activated as though to hide whatever emotion was pouring through his eyes as of the moment.

A painful gasp reached Sasuke's ears. He stared at the figure: black shinobi sandals, black cargo pants, an orange tank top, tanned skin…that unmistakable blonde hair, bright blue eyes and whisker marks.

Sasuke caught his breath. It was Naruto.

The shadows whipped and lashed on the tanned skin before disappearing across Naruto's shoulders, solidifying to those oh-so-familiar features of that infamous ten-year-old little girl.

The wheels of his sharingan spun crazily. He gritted his teeth. Those shadows were from that girl…those shadows that took Naruto away…that left that ear-piercing and horrifying scream that Sasuke could never stop hearing.

"Thanks, Hoshi, for looking after things while I'm gone. Sorry for asking such things from you." Naruto chuckled. When he received no response from girl perched on his shoulder, he grew worried. He looked up at Hoshi and saw that cold look in her eyes.

"Human." Hoshi hissed.

Naruto jerked his head to the front. He swallowed nervously. "Sa-Sasuke."

Nails dug into pale flesh as Sasuke clenched his fists in anger. "You…you…that little girl…fuck…_those shadows_…." He sipped air through his teeth, "You took…you took…YOU TOOK HIM AWAY!" A humongous amount of chakra was released from his feet, giving him the speed and power he needed. He lunged towards Naruto, sharingan focused on Hoshi alone.

The little girl raised a hand towards the Uchiha.

Sasuke felt a tug at his wait, shoulders and neck. He saw Hoshi's image get smaller and smaller. Something was throwing him back.

"SASUKE!" Naruto pushed Hoshi off his shoulders. He pushed himself forward, grabbing Sasuke's wrist and pulling him with all his might. The sudden impact of the Uchiha's body slamming onto his caused his chakra control to falter, making the two of them fall under the lake's surface.

Sasuke kicked his legs but found them entangled with the blonde. In frustration, he grabbed Naruto's head, putting his arms under the blonde's armpits in a rough hug. He swam to the edge of the lake, carrying Naruto with him.

"Baka! If you can't save yourself, don't try saving other people!" Sasuke coughed.

Naruto glared at him but said nothing in return.

"My house. _Now_."

- - -

"You're not welcome in this house." Sasuke glared at Hoshi.

"But you're a shinobi, human. Hoshi is always welcome."

Sasuke glared.

Hoshi glared in return.

"Okay, stop it you two." Naruto came into living room, drying his hair with a towel. He was wearing Sasuke's clothes. Well, the ones that Sasuke rarely used. "Hoshi, be nice to Sasuke. And Sasuke? What's the deal now? Aren't you supposed to be happy that _I'm_ back already?"

"How can I _not_ be mad at her!" Sasuke pointed at the girl, "I _saw_ the shadows, Naruto. SHE'S THE DAMN FUCKING _REASON_ YOU DISAPPEARED AND YOU EXPECT ME TO BE _CALM_ ABOUT IT!"

Naruto stopped his hands. He dropped the towel onto the couch, combing his hair with his fingers. With a stern frown on his face, he answered, "She's not the reason I disappeared, Sasuke. If that's the issue, then you should thank her instead. The only reason I could get back here is because of her."

"Then what? What made you disappear?"

The blonde stiffed. He turned away from Sasuke. "Can't you ask something else?"

In anger, Sasuke grabbed the blonde's wrist, forcing him to look his way. He failed to notice that blush across that tanned face. "I've waited long enough to get some answers, _Naruto_. Almost _six fucking years_!"

"It's Konoha." Hoshi interrupted, "Naruto-sama wouldn't have disappeared if it weren't for Konoha. That's why I _can't_ understand why he's still trying so _hard_ to protect a village that doesn't want him!" It was the first time she had shown an emotion that deviated from calm.

Naruto bit his lip, shaking his head in denial. "No, don't say that…. It's supposed to be a good thing, right?" he forced a smile, "If I hadn't disappeared, you wouldn't have found me, ne? So you should be thankful…that's right…very thankful."

Sasuke's grip on Naruto loosened. He focused his eyes on Hoshi and asked, "Konoha? What does Konoha have to do with it? A jutsu?"

"Human will is a very powerful force. If united, it could cause boundaries to break."

The brunette squeezed Naruto's wrist. "Then…Konoha…threw you away…." He turned to the blonde, trying find hatred in those blue eyes. But all he found was solid determination…the same determination he sees every time Naruto was trying so hard to protect something. "Why won't you say it?"

"Because I didn't want to blame them. I didn't want to blame anybody." Naruto forced a laugh.

It was painful to see the blonde try to retain his happy façade. With a sigh, Sasuke released his grip on Naruto and fell to the couch.

"I owe you a lot…of things, Sasuke."

Hoshi looked at Naruto in disbelief. She opened her mouth to intervene but a tanned hand stopped her.

The blonde beside Sasuke, leaning on his shoulder, "Sasuke…how much do you know about youkai…and shinigami?"

"Shinigami are youkai as well."

"I beg to differ. Shinigami and youkai are separate beings. Youkai reside in the Demon Realm. Shinigami come from the Underworld, the land of souls." Hoshi snapped, "You humans are always like this…calling everything and everyone you fear a _demon_."

Sasuke glared at the girl. He just had enough of her incessant degrading of the human species…specifically the Uchiha clan. "What does this have to do with Konoha, anyway?"

Naruto chuckled, nervously moving a hand through his hair. "The Demon Realm is a harsh place. Rules are never to be broken or there will be dire consequences. But…it's a beautiful place as well. It's kinda like the Human Realm…only with youkai instead of ningen."

Sasuke turned the blonde beside him. He narrowed his eyes in question. The way he heard Naruto say those words…it was as if he was speaking from experience, as though he himself had lived in the Demon Realm. Eyes grew wide in realization and the little color left in the Uchiha's face vanished.

"Five years in the Demon Realm could do a lot about a person."

* * *

Koharu and Homura are the _real_ council in the manga. Yep, the old lady and the equally old man with equally irritating looks. I know they're old but I'm retaining them because if I put a new council, then there would be little political conflict because they wouldn't dare disobey the Hokage. 

Be happy, my dear readers. I wanted to end the chapter when Sasuke spotted Naruto (and vice versa) in the lake. It just felt like the right thing to do but I promised to reveal where Naruto came from in this chapter. Uhmm, enjoy?

But anyway, I finally said it! Without the necessary explanations, yes, but that'll be seen in the next chapter! Now, if it sucks, please don't hold out on me! Bash as much as you wish to! XD

What the hell happened and I suddenly got so many reviews? Let's hope it happens again!

Thanks to: **FireTemptress**, **Dark Hurricane**, **ebonyS2**, **meinien**, **TheDragonOfDarkness001**, **lunabasketcase**, **tishu**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **Raskanii**, **anonymous**, **Icy Sapphire15**, **BleedingxEternally**, **Ky0Kichi**, **DarkvsLight**, **SelenaWheeler**, **Toma Kaze**, **Katio**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **Rikouchan**, **keele**

If you can spare some time, go visit **www. deviantart. com/deviation/27545726/**. It's kinda like the er...poster? Of the fanfic XD Actually, I just wanted to draw an angsting Naruto XD

_All things in life  
That you cannot gain  
Without first losing,  
And feeling pain_  
— This is the first stanza of a poem I made with the drawing in the link above. It kinda explains one of the rules Hoshi follows. Basically, it's fair exchange — kinda like equivalent trade (Full Metal Alchemist) except that it isn't necessarily 'equivalent' XD It's for **lunabasketcase** :3


	11. X : Circumstances of No Choice

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Grab a random online dictionary or encyclopedia. Search for "Fanfiction". Enough said.

**Note:** IMO, this chapter has the most evil cliffy of all XDXDXD You are warned!

* * *

**X. Circumstances of No Choice**

"But…but…_how_? How could you have gotten to the Demon Realm?" Sasuke had never heard of any human being getting to the land of the youkai. It was always the youkai who came to the Human Realm, never the other way around but those were stories, stories to scare children from going out in the night or disobeying the rules.

Such a thing was impossible.

"You've seen Hoshi. She's the key to traveling between realms. You know she's not human." Naruto shrugged, "She's the Shinigami." He stood up, stretching his arms to the back. "Let me crash in your place tonight, okay? I'm really tired so let's talk about this later." A yawn escaped his mouth as he made his way to the room he had used before.

Surprised eyes quickly flashed into annoyance. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. The blonde just told him something believed to be impossible and now he was running away from him. What use is knowledge if there was no understanding? Naruto owed him an explanation and he was not willing to let the blonde leave this time, "Naru—"

"Don't." The shinigami shook her head, "Traveling through worlds isn't something that could be done with ease. Be happy his energy is the only price he has to pay."

Sasuke sighed as Naruto's retreating back disappeared from view. In hesitance, he turned his eyes to Hoshi, disgusted at the way she smiled at him.

"Naruto-sama tends to avoid questions about himself. Ask about Hoshi and he shall answer well." The little girl rocked back and forth on the backrest of one of the couches, kicking the air like the child she had let everyone believe she was. "And it's not good for him to hide such things. Naruto-sama also needs the humans he's been protecting _too much_ to worry about him."

Trust never came easy to Sasuke. He couldn't give his full trust to himself so he couldn't see why he should give it to a death god that had tried to kill him once. The archives say that shinigami take away people's souls, that they cause death. Knowing such things didn't help in being calm around Hoshi.

"Do I need to spell it for you? I can read your thoughts, human. There's nothing to hide. Your shadow tells me willingly." Hoshi pointed to the ground where shadows of different objects mixed and overlapped. "And I never tried to kill you. Hoshi just tried to hurt your physical form to the point where you cannot use it. Fair trade when you're causing Naruto-sama such trouble with Katon jutsu that he asked you not to use against him."

Sasuke jerked his head to his shadow behind him. He made an attempt to hide it from view but ended up looking like a cornered mouse. "That just gives me more reason to doubt you."

"I don't really care." Hoshi smiled. There was a pause between them before she interrupted it with a hum. She turned her head up, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Uchiha, do you want know how to get to the Demon Realm?" The sudden tension of his shoulders amused her, "Even if you do know how, it doesn't mean you could get there."

The more Hoshi talked to him, the more Sasuke felt suspicious. But the offer was tempting. The knowledge he would gain was more than his curiosity could handle.

The smile on the little girl's face brightened as she felt the Uchiha relax. He was ready to listen.

"There's only two safe ways to get to the Demon Realm. The first and most common one is through the Red Moon. It's a gate that connects the Demon Realm and the Human Realm; a natural occurrence but highly unpredictable. We never know when it happens, where it appears, how long or how strong. You humans would only see it when it's strong enough to let most youkai and humans through.

"The second one is practically impossible for both ningen and youkai. You see, between those two realms lies my world, the Underworld, and only two beings could enter it: shinigami and souls. So, to be able to use this method, Naruto-sama must have the approval of the shinigami overlord. Enormous amounts of chakra as well and knowledge of seals and gate circles. This is the one Naruto-sama used to come back here."

Sasuke saw the holes in her second statement. If shinigami and souls are the only possible beings allowed in the Underworld, then how could anyone have the approval of the shinigami overlord? It would mean that…that…Naruto would be…

"Learn to open the gate or wait for the Red Moon. Other than that, youkai or ningen, you die." The small voice she spoke with almost made everything she said seem like a fairytale.

"But Naruto didn't know any of those six years ago."

Hoshi paused. She smiled brightly at the Uchiha, laughing as though she just heard a hilarious joke. "Human will is a very powerful force. If united, it could cause boundaries to break." She repeated the exact words she said a while ago when she talked about Konoha.

Sasuke let a long sigh escape from his lips. He closed his eyes. He needed to organize his thoughts. He needed to fix the information in a logical manner to separate the answers from the questions. He may be considered a prodigy but understanding the workings of two realms can't be done within the short span of time he was given.

Then the little girl interrupted his thoughts by noisily standing up.

"Hoshi will go now." She clumsily shuffled off the couch and turned her back to the Uchiha. "Naruto-sama doesn't want me staying with you, don't want human to be hurt."

With a lazy stare, he looked at Hoshi's retreating back. There were more questions that he needed to be answered and he knew that Naruto would avoid most of it. If answers were the ones he's looking for, the shinigami would be his best chance.

Hoshi stopped. She pointed a finger to the hallway and said, "Naruto-sama doesn't need Hoshi. As much as I don't want it to be, Naruto-sama needs Uchiha Sasuke…and him alone." Without another word, she stepped into the shadows and disappeared.

Sasuke closed his eyes, smiling softly to himself. He silently made his way Naruto's room, opening the door slowly. He leaned on the doorframe, his arms crossed out of habit. His eyes wandered at the randomly thrown clothes on the floor until they stopped at the mush of blonde hair sticking out of the blankets.

"Naruto…." He sighed, letting his soft smile last longer than usual.

"Sometimes I just don't know why I fell in love with you."

- - -

When Naruto opened his eyes, he never expected to see Uchiha Sasuke resting his head at the side of his bed. His first instinct was to scream and panic but looking at the brunette's peaceful face, calmed him down. With a warm smile on his face, he leveled his head with the Uchiha's, placing his chin on the soft mattress. A chuckle escaped his lips as Sasuke shifted to a more comfortable position.

"Sleep well, Sasuke."

Naruto left the Uchiha in his bed, tucked under the blankets comfortably, before he went to the kitchen. He smiled when he saw Hoshi sitting on the dinner table. "How much did you tell?"

"Enough." Said the little girl, "Naruto-sama should be the one to tell Uchiha."

The blonde laughed, "Yes, I _know_. It's just that when I'm the one that tells…it's feels more…_pitiful_." He sighed, "And I don't want them to pity me. It's bad enough that _everyone_ is making me feel so bad about going to Konoha." he sent a meaningful glare at the little girl who just shrugged it away.

"We wouldn't be against it so much if you at least came back to give them a fair trade of what they gave _you_." Hoshi said as though it was _good_ to take revenge on others, "I'm sure the Demon Realm introduced the code of fair trade."

Naruto turned annoyed eyes at the shinigami. A moment later, he sighed, letting Hoshi's words slide away from his mind, "Actually, spending five years in the Demon Realm helped me to keep my vows: coming back to Konoha and protecting it. The contracts and the deals I gained would let me protect…_important things_…well." He chuckled lightly.

Anger flared in Hoshi's eyes, "This human village doesn't deserve what you give to them."

"I know." Naruto shrugged, "I just don't want to be like _them_. I don't want to keep on blaming people for the things that happen to me." A grin flashed mockingly on the blonde's face, "It's kinda funny actually. The people who died during Kyuubi's attack weren't the least bit mad at me while those who are left here hate me so much."

The shinigami gave Naruto an indifferent stare and said, "The visit went well as usual then. Human souls pay more tribute to me than those in this realm. They're more sensible that's why they're allowed in my world." her eyebrows twitched slightly in what seemed like worry, "But…Kyuubi-sama…the sacrifice…"

Naruto paled. He tilted his head down so that his golden locks covered his eyes. A hand unconsciously made his way on his abdomen, "I never got the chance to give my thanks, you know." his voice was barely a wind's whisper, so solemn and shaky.

Hoshi smiled softly, "Reviving the fallen land is thanks enough, Naruto-sama."

"GAH!" The blonde pulled his head back, "This is so _human_…living in regret." He laughed lightly, "Anyway, how long will you plan on staying here?"

Hoshi shrugged, "Hoshi will stay here until the Akatsuki makes their move. I have to be here if you get yourself killed."

A pout graced the blonde's lips, making him look younger than his age. "I won't get myself killed!" he blew a raspberry to the shinigami.

Hoshi shook her head in exasperation. She shrugged her shoulder, rolling her eyes as though to say she's all-knowing. "The problem with you, Naruto-sama, is that you tend to hold back instead of using too much. You were so confident when you were younger, before I found you."

Naruto bit his lip, "But I'm not good enough to use just the right amount. The pressure in the Demon Realm is _ten times_ heavier than in this world! I _can't_ risk having my chakra depleted. Before, it was easier because the only one that will be in danger would be me. Now, my fall would be the fall of many." He tapped his lip nervously, darting paranoid eyes at every corner of the room, "…Are they…alright?"

The shinigami chuckled. "Yes, they are, Naruto-sama. _You're_ alright, aren't you? So are they." She gave the blonde a reassuring smile, "And do remember, Naruto-sama, the fireflies will be there to warn you so there is little reason to worry. I'll also be there to watch."

"Thanks." Naruto grinned, "For everything: staying here and keeping in line. I know how much you dislike looking human but it's not really good for humans to see you as a shinigami. Thanks for staying like that." he tapped a finger on the little girl's forehead.

"Hoshi only projects what Naruto-sama wants to me to look like. Hoshi is happy to oblige and besides, it's amusing to see how the Uchiha tends to think of me as his and yours offspring sometimes. Not that it matters because you do as well." The shinigami smiled as she saw Naruto's face grow a dozen shades of red.

Blue eyes darted from one direction to another. A long sad sigh escaped the blonde's lips as his head dropped to his chest. "Yeah…it's a nice thought to think, ne? Sasuke and I…." A painful smile reached his lips, "But in the end they're just thoughts…."

"You've paid for _his_ sins, Naruto-sama, by _your_ free will at that. Don't tell me that you feel regret." Her voice was solid and emotionless.

Naruto grinned, laughing lightly, "Yeah, I know. I don't like regretting things either. It's just that…I'm still allowed to dream, aren't I? So let me abuse it until I no longer can."

Hoshi side-glanced at the hallway, eyes focused on the light shadows they cast on the figure standing at the end of the hall. She closed her eyes in arrogance. Oh, she wanted the Uchiha to know. She wanted Naruto to be treated the way he deserves and for that Konoha and the Uchiha should know about everything Naruto had given up for them.

"That's right, Naruto-sama. You deserve many things…."

- - -

Sasuke wasn't a light-sleeper but being in such a renowned and well-bred family prevents him from falling into deep sleep in uncomfortable positions and places. It was useful during his missions since it gave him a strict awareness while looking vulnerable to the enemy.

So, when Naruto put him in bed, he was simply half-asleep and the stir caused by the blonde's efforts, shook him away from dreamland. Without further thoughts, he rose up and followed the blonde, stepping into the conversation of the two. He retreated only by instinct but continued, listening to every word.

He heard everything Naruto and Hoshi were talking about – though he couldn't understand most of it – when he was sure he would've been sensed by the blonde already.

Then he saw the shinigami meet his eyes and he realized why Naruto didn't notice him: Hoshi wanted him to know.

But how could he be of any use when he couldn't understand more than half of what they were talking about? Sasuke found out a few qualities of the blonde that made him want to smile and make the world a better place. There was also Kyuubi. From how they spoke of the demon, he was no longer within Naruto though he couldn't understand what was so bad about loosing the demon. Shouldn't Naruto be happy that the village will not see him as the fox demon anymore?

Then the Akatsuki was mentioned. They were coming soon, most probably within the jounin exams but that wasn't a surprise. That vigilante group was _bound_ to come soon enough. Hoshi must've been keeping watch on them. Never bother about the how because the little girl was a shinigami. Who knows what kinds of things she could do with shadows that every human being has.

Then there was Naruto and those…_words_. There was that 'Sasuke and Naruto'. He had thought a long time ago that he wanted the blonde to be with him and him with the blonde. He blamed it on _that_ incident, the one where Naruto had vanished. After that, he was given five years to think about it. And it was more than enough to realize such things.

He wanted Naruto to stay.

But the way the blonde had talked about it to Hoshi…he just seemed…so down. Sasuke wasn't a master of depicting emotions. It was Naruto who was always better at him in that category. So he didn't know if Naruto was sad about being with him or if it was because he _couldn't_ be with him.

"Uchiha-san, if you wish to question the safety measures on the upcoming jounin, then I believe you should first focus your mind in this world."

Sasuke jerked his head up, blinking in confusion. The stern face of the Hokage brought him back to present time. He was there to suggest measures against an attack from the Akatsuki. The way Hoshi had said it, the time of her departure was near. "Hai, Hokage-sama, we have to prepare for the Akatsuki."

Tsunade sighed, skeptic eyes scanning the Uchiha. "And how did you get this information?"

"I know you know about Hoshi being a shinigami. Naruto told me. So did the girl." Sasuke crossed his arms, "I'm sure you trust information coming from that girl. After all, shinigami cannot lie."

Her doubtful stare turned into a shocked gaping. Tsunade shook her head, attempting to gain back her composure. She expected Naruto tell Sasuke but never with Hoshi around. "She told you that Akatsuki was going to come during the jounin exams?"

"No." Sasuke said in confidence, "But soon, yes. And the easiest time for the Akatsuki to infiltrate the village would be during the jounin exams."

Tsunade turned her gaze to the portraits of the past Hokage, contemplating over the statement. "You're doing this…for Naruto, right?" She saw the Uchiha nod slightly, "If it was Naruto, he would do this for the village, not for one person." She chuckled, "Just shows how different you two are."

Sasuke watched the Hokage with solid eyes. He knew he was a selfish man and that he could never be as giving as the vulpine blonde. But that's why Naruto deserved to be Hokage. Not Sasuke.

"Okay then." The Godaime stood up, "I'll put more shinobi on watch and keep a strict hold on the security plans."

Sasuke stood up and bowed, muttering a barely audible thanks to the Hokage. Showing his hands into his pockets, he left the office with his typical cold façade.

Tsunade sighed, "If Uchiha knows then Sakura should've known by now. How will I deal with her when she's too busy being paranoid about Hoshi?"

- - -

It was finally the start of the jounin exams. Numerous shinobi from different villages gathered around one of the forests of Konoha. Each nin was checking his supplies and scanning potential teammates and foes.

The jounin exam was a far stretch from the chuunin exams. With the latter, the tactical abilities and adaptation levels were measured. It was taken step by step with guidance from higher-level shinobi. The chuunin exams secured the lives of the participants. Death was the last option on the list.

With the jounin exam, it was different. They were to survive the forest within a week's time while all of them were pitted against each other. They were each given a number to keep. The goal is to gather as much numbers as you can and reach the tower at the end of the forest within the time limit. Only a maximum of six shinobi will be admitted into the next round. When your own number is discarded or taken, it is considered a forfeit, a loss. It was difficult task to achieve when their numbers have to be pinned to their chests where everyone could see it.

"Psst. Naruto." Ino poked the vulpine blonde's sides, "Let's stay together."

Naruto blinked, trying to digest what the blonde chick just suggested. He sighed, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "Well…I don't know. I know it's better have a teammate during this part of the test but we'd be limited as well. I'm not sure I could work well with you, Ino. No offense meant but I've been working alone for around six years." He grinned at Ino, "Okay, so Hoshi has been with me but with her, I never had to think about what I had to do. Hoshi just follows accordingly."

Ino grumbled, "It's not just that, Naruto. This is your first time taking the test. It's been my…uhm…third." She tucked her bangs behind her ears in embarrassment. "Anyway, it means I know more about the participants than you do, Naruto. I handle good in long range and mid range combat but close range? It just has to be said…I _suck_. That's where _you_ come in. Not only that, my shintenshin would be useful in knowing how many numbers our targets have collected."

Naruto sighed thoughtfully. His control was lacking but with Ino around, he'd be forced to think about it constantly. It'd be good practice for him. The Human Realm had lighter pressure compared to the Demon Realm which was why his chakra fluctuates constantly. He sighed once again, this time more solid.

"Okay, Ino. You've got yourself a deal."

- - -

"Well, we got you surrounded now, kid. How about you give us all those numbers you've been collecting, eh?"

Naruto turned around. His eyes narrowed towards the three shinobi in front of him: one from the Mist, another from the Grass and the last from the Stone. It was unusual to see shinobi from different villages working together. "Oh, hi there." He grinned, "How about this: you give me those numbers _you've_ been keeping and I let you go with your numbers still attached to your chest."

The Mist nin glared at him, "You don't understand, kid. We're letting you go with your _life_." He cracked his muscles as the other shinobi took out their respective weapons in what they all perceived as an intimidating manner.

"Well, I'm letting you go with your numbers. Isn't that fair trade?" Naruto laughed.

In anger, the Mist nin attacked Naruto with his fist. Naruto made a back flip, creating seals in mid-air. He dug his fingers into the ground, "Doton: Doroku Gaeshi." He flipped a solid wall of earth upright, blocking the projectiles the other shinobi followed through.

From the other sides of the enemy, they saw duplicates of Naruto doing the same jutsu, trapping them in a box made out of mud walls where there was little visibility. They used different jutsu to penetrate the walls but Naruto's hold was too strong for them to break and the space within the box was too little to make any decent maneuvers.

The Mist nin looked up, seeing only the eaves of the trees. He stuck a kunai into the wall and proceeded to climb up. The Grass nin did the same but before they could reach the top, a couple of shuriken embedded their backs and they fell to the ground unceremoniously. The last thing they saw was the vague smirking of their comrade from the Stone.

"…5….4…3…2…1." Naruto tapped his fingers impatiently. He sighed and dispelled his Doton, watching it crumble slowly into the dirt it came from. His Kage Bunshin stood in their fighting stances.

"Hey, don't you dare use your Kage Bunshin against me!" a low voice screamed as it strained to gain a high pitch, "I did my fair share of work! Now go get my body! It's disgusting to stay inside this…ugh…_man_. Do all Stone nin smell like mud?"

Naruto grinned at the Stone nin, "Gomen, Ino. I'll get your body right now." He snapped his fingers and four Kage Bunshin jumped down from the trees with Ino's body carefully being cradled in their hands.

The Stone nin scampered towards Ino's body. He created the seal for the shintenshin and fell unconscious to the ground as soon as Ino's eyes opened. Naruto's Kage Bunshin collected the numbers the group was keeping and handed them to the vulpine blonde. With a nod, Naruto and Ino jumped into the trees, leaving the nin for the ANBU to find.

"Okay, so how many did we get this time?" Ino stretched her arms, massaging her shoulders with her palms.

Naruto looked around, scanning the surroundings for possible ambushers. He summoned half a dozen Kage Bunshin to guard them as they checked the numbers they've collected. "The Mist nin had ten numbers with him, seven for the Stone nin and four for the Grass nin. Then three more for their own numbers. Pretty good for a crappy group." He handed twelve plates to Ino, "A 50-50 share!"

Ino tucked the numbers into her pouch. "So all in all, I have 28 numbers and you have 33. That's already 61 numbers in total." She muttered, eyes focused on the branch they were sitting upon, "There's a total of 132 participants for the exam. We have 61 of them plus the two we're wearing. That leaves only 69 numbers left with 22 hours to go."

Naruto nodded in understanding, "If we head to the tower now, we'd be part of the six qualified examinees. There's four slots out there with only 69 numbers left. By this time, most of the participants would be heading to the tower already. We could either take away a few potential foes and increase our numbers or simply go to the tower and grab our slots."

Ino giggled, "You know, it's hard to believe you were dead-last during the Academy. You must've had a lot of tactical training during those five years." She patted Naruto's back in praise, "Anyway, don't you think it's safer for us to grab our slots instead of trying to compete with others?"

Naruto sighed. Ino wasn't a good fighter, he knew that well. If it was Sasuke with him, they would've taken out every shinobi out there so as not to cause more trouble in the battles. But Ino was Ino. "Okay, Ino. No problem. I guess it _is_ safer that way. How long are we from the tower?"

"Around 20 kilometers, maybe even less." Ino pointed to northwest. "We could get there within ten hours or so. Less if we spend a couple of hours to regain our strength." She turned to Naruto but he remained silent. "Naruto?" she waved a hand in front of his face but he gave no response, "Are you alright? Did we get ambushed?"

"He's here…."

Ino gulped. She didn't like the sound of Naruto's voice. "…Who?"

"…Itachi…." Naruto turned away from the blonde. Without further word, he jumped to the next branch, dispelling his Kage Bunshin as he did. Serious eyes scanned the surroundings until it paused at one direction. A low growl resonated from his throat. With one big leap, he sped into the forest, leaving Ino behind.

"NARUTO! COME BACK!"

- - -

Sasuke swiftly made his way through the forest, ignoring the faraway protests of Sakura and the others. Suspicion already roused in him when the shinigami didn't appear to anybody during any of the days of the jounin exam. But he pushed away his paranoia. He didn't want to act like Sakura who seemed to have acquired an indescribable fear towards the little girl. Then Hoshi suddenly appeared, muttering one word alone: Akatsuki.

At that instant, he gripped the little girl in anger, demanding where Naruto was. Hoshi whispered the location in such a small voice that he wasn't even sure he heard it right but he was willing to take his chances.

His eyes vaguely took notice of the participants he passed. There was no ANBU following or stopping him which just made Sasuke's heart pound harder and louder that he couldn't hear his own thoughts anymore. He sifted the air the breathed through clenched teeth, trying to calm himself with the rhythm of his breathing.

A flash of bright yellow caught his eyes. Gathering as much chakra as he could spare onto his legs, he made a long jump through the trees, landing with little sound onto the ground. He looked up and saw the familiar figure of the blonde sprawled on one of the thick branches of the trees.

Naruto stood up slowly, his knees wobbling slightly. He gripped the wood, spitting the metallic taste in his mouth to the side. He bared his teeth, licking away the slight tint of red coloring them. His crimson eyes flickered in anger.

Sasuke made a move towards Naruto but his steps were cut short by a voice that sent his blood boil in immeasurable rage.

"Just because you found me doesn't mean you can match my skills already."

Sasuke's sharingan whirled into life as he focused possessed eyes towards the voice. That black cloak with the red clothes…that distinguished sharingan…Itachi. He clenched his fists, shaking in his rage. He was going to kill Itachi. He was going to avenge his clan. He was going to make Itachi's life a living hell. He was—

"Che, shut up, Itachi." Naruto growled, "I just need to bring you out of Konoha. Killing you would just be a waste of time. And besides, that's Sasuke's job."

Sasuke paused, his sharingan disappearing into black. He focused on Naruto. He promised himself he would never again forget about the blonde…not like last time…when Itachi came to Konoha with that shark-like partner of his. But now he was faced with the two people in his life that was the reason for everything he had chosen.

Which was more important? Naruto or his revenge?

The sound of an explosion and the strong gust of wind woke him up from his reverie. Sasuke jerked his head to where the wind came from. Naruto lay beside a large crater sporting a few bruises and scratches.

He felt his own feet move, shuffling each other at first then brisk walking until Sasuke found himself running at full speed. All coherent thoughts were ignored as he saw that black fire sped towards the blonde. He threw his arms over the crouched figure of Naruto, protecting the blonde from the jutsu meant for him.

"Sa-Sa-Sasuke…?"

* * *

The next update might not come as fast as the others. It's my midterms as of the moment so I'm leaving the fic for a while. Bear with me, dears. 

Oh, and I've been avoiding a conversation between the OC and any other character but this one just HAD to happen. It just makes her seem more important than a stimulant. I can't see Naruto saying those stuff without making him high-and-mighty and getting rid of his carefree side. I believe that Naruto's happy act is a great strength that he should not lose at any cost. What do you think?

Anyway, do you think Itachi's OOC? He's just too bland! I can't find enough character in him TT I was listening to the Phantom of the Opera's soundtrack to get his character a bit closer to what I think of him XDXDXD

Thanks to: **RuByMoOn17**, **DarkvsLight**, **catheryn2**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **ebonyS2**, **Dragonist**, **Icy Sapphire15**, **BleedingxEternally**, **TheDragonOfDarkness001**, **Wolfkun**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **Ky0Kichi**, **tishu**, **FireieGurl**, **coruscate**, **lettucechan**, **Katio**, **karikado**, and **Toma Kaze**


	12. XI : Bludgeonings of Chance

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Grab a random online dictionary or encyclopedia. Search for "Fanfiction". Enough said.

**Note:** Angst! Angst! Angst! Angst! XDXDXD Wangst chapter! I keep torturing Sasuke

* * *

**XI. Bludgeonings of Chance**

"Who would've thought that my foolish little brother could be of some use as well?"

Naruto's mouth felt dry. He greedily breathed in all the air he could as he watched those charcoal eyes disappear under eyelids. "Why…? Why did you have to take that attack…?" he whispered, biting back tears. He slipped his hand into Sasuke's, intertwining their fingers.

"If you had given up the Kyuubi, none of this would've happened." Itachi turned unemotional eyes towards his brother's corpse. He shrugged and looked at the mourning jinchuuriki, letting half a smile grace his face. Who knew that the blonde could be broken as easily as this? The situation was just making his job easier by the moment.

"Sshh…Sasuke…don't worry…. I'll save you." Naruto whispered, squeezing Sasuke's hand. He kissed his forehead and pushed away wet bangs from the brunette's pale face. He pulled Sasuke to a tree, leaning his back to the bark, "Just wait. Please. Like you've always done" The blonde closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. Uchiha Itachi would not hurt anybody else. Uzumaki Naruto would finish this battle with Itachi quickly. Not much time was left…not much time for Sasuke.

Demonic orbs met the wheels of the sharingan. Naruto stood up straight, lips pursed into a tight frown.

Itachi froze. He didn't expect Naruto to be calm like that while using the fox's strength. Had gained full control of the demon or was it something else? He hoped it wouldn't be something that would interfere with their extraction of the beast. He smirked. The blonde never failed to surprise him which was why it was so amusing to come after him. But this time around, there was no room for play.

Black fire sparked as Itachi redid his jutsu. The stream of flames made its way to Naruto like a dragon battling its prey.

"You won't get me with flames, Itachi." Naruto raised his finger and snapped.

The flames vanished into thin air but Itachi was ready for another attack. With unmatched speed, he raced towards the blonde but before he could reach him, he felt intense heat wrap around his arms. His own black flames were melting his arm the same way it did with his otouto. His eyes narrowed in confusion but before he would react from the heat, another spark of fire lashed out inches away from his face. He cursed, pushing himself back, away from the blonde and the flames but the fire seemed to have a life of its own. It was chasing him no matter where he went.

Itachi had no choice but to retreat. There was no information about such techniques being used by both the jinchuuriki and youkai of the leaf. Even a great shinobi can be beaten by a technique he was unfamiliar with.

Naruto gasped as he saw Itachi get away from him but it was enough to have the Akatsuki retreat. For now, there were more important things.

The blonde grabbed Sasuke by the arm, refusing to look at the state of his torso. He swung the Uchiha onto his back. The tower was the closest place he could get to especially when time was essential. With a grunt, he focused determined eyes at the forest. No one was going to stop him from getting Sasuke to the tower.

- - -

Itachi hissed as he tried to move his arm. It was useless as of the moment: skin melted like butter that his muscles were showing. He sealed the flames away but not fast enough to stop them from eating his flesh.

Even if the Kyuubi has abilities to control fire, it was impossible for Naruto to use them. The jinchuuriki of the Leaf had the most effective seal among all nine. It allowed the container to access the chakra of the demon without interference from the demon itself. Using the demon's skills was not part of the seal. It was seal made to protect not to destroy.

Itachi cursed. He had to rethink his plans. They would need to strike again…definitely within the exams because…after all, the security was too easy to breach during that time. Waiting was not an option, not anymore. The Akatsuki themselves have searched for Naruto during those five years of disappearance but they failed as much the others have. They _needed_ the Kyuubi.

His speed increased as he made his way out of the forest. For now, he needed to regroup with his partner.

- - -

Naruto held Sasuke's head close to his chest, burying his eyes into his hair. It took him three hours to get to the tower, three hours of being with a dead Uchiha. He wasn't supposed to cry about Sasuke…especially when it involved death. He was supposed to be mature about this because…he had been to the Underworld for so many times…so there was no reason to weep over a soul he could see any time he wished.

"Naruto…." Sakura whispered, "…You have to let him go now. He's not coming back."

Naruto shook his head, pulling the brunette closer to his body. "No, no, Sakura-chan…you have to heal him. You have to fix the damage. I don't know any medical jutsu. I can't heal him. I can't make his wounds go away."

Sakura turned worried eyes at the Hokage. She patted the blonde on the back but recoiled when he felt him flinch, "Naruto, people can't come back to life. Sasuke's gone from us. He's brain-dead. Too much time was wasted…." She turned to Sasuke's chest.

It was disgusting. The fire melted Sasuke's skin and muscles like a wax candle, showing the scorched ribs for everyone to see. His heart couldn't beat anymore as it was molded with his lungs. The chakra highways were still there but mixed up so much that the chakra couldn't circulate through his heart and lungs well. It was the worst wound Sakura have ever seen from a fire.

"…We can't save him anymore…"

Blue eyes burned into a fiery red, "You _don't_ need to save him, _Sakura_. YOU JUST NEED TO HEAL HIM!" Naruto growled, shaking in anger. He jerked his head to Tsunade, "You can regenerate cells, right? You have to do that to Sasuke as well! YOU HAVE TO HEAL HIM!"

Tsunade sighed, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, Naruto, but I don't have enough chakra to heal a wound…like that."

"Then use mine." Naruto gave his hand to the Hokage, looking at her with watery pleading eyes. "I have enough, Hokage-sama, so _please_ you have to heal his body."

Tsunade bit her lip. Cell regeneration was a complicated process. While healing the patient, it also puts his life on the line which was why not many would recommend such a technique to heal. But with Kyuubi's chakra, it may work wonders or, on the other hand, it could destroy all chances of life.

But the determined and desperate look in Naruto's eyes willed her to take the chances.

"Follow me."

- - -

"Naruto…Sasuke…what will happen now?" Ino asked in between sobs. Both she and Naruto had qualified for the next round of the exams but it was not the time to celebrate when Naruto was mourning and Sasuke was…dead.

"Tsunade-sama and Naruto are healing Sasuke as of the moment…." Sakura said in a dead whisper, "I don't see how that would help but Naruto was kept persuading…. Sasuke's dead…I thought he would be the one most mature about it because…after all…that _shinigami_ is with him." She clenched her fists in anger. Hoshi wasn't there as of the moment but once Sakura saw her, that little girl wouldn't live to see another day.

Neji appeared from the corner. He could feel the heaviness of the air around them. He looked at the closed doors of the healing room before looking back at the mourning shinobi. He, like most of them, didn't know Sasuke much. He wasn't much of a comrade and the impression he gave to others wasn't pleasant at all. But Naruto…Naruto was the opposite of Sasuke. When the blonde mourns, everybody follows suite. It was the effect he had on people.

"We couldn't find him."

All eyes turned to Neji. They knew who that 'him' was. It was Uchiha Itachi, the cause of the predicament they were currently in.

"The ANBU never sensed him in the forest so I'm not surprised they didn't find him at all. He's probably long gone from Konoha now." Kiba shrugged.

"Naruto found him." Ino pointed out, "He knew where Itachi was the moment he appeared. He chased after him…and I just watched him go. If I followed him, do you think things would've turned out different?"

Sakura rubbed her best friend's back, trying to offer all the comfort he could spare.

"Not just Naruto. Hoshi also knew." Shikamaru said, "She was the one who told Uchiha where to find him."

Silence met them all. They had nothing to say. That little girl was a shinigami, a complete mystery to all of them, and what information they have of such beings seems to be false.

The creaking of the doors alerted them all. Tsunade appeared from the doorway, wiping the sweat on her temple with her arm. She offered half a smile to Sakura, "We've healed him." She turned back to the room, "I just don't know what Naruto will do now. Let's hope he doesn't do anything drastic."

Sakura turned to everyone in the hallway. None of them were willing to enter the room. They felt they had no right to interfere with Sasuke and Naruto. She herself couldn't bear to be in Naruto's presence. She couldn't offer any comfort to the blonde when he was still cilnging onto something impossible.

Naruto stood at the foot of the bed, gazing with blank eyes at the figure of the Uchiha lying in the bed. There were no visible injuries, no scars, no bumps, nothing – as though Sasuke was just sleeping, waiting for the next day to wake up. But Naruto remained the empty doll he was when he entered the room with Tsunade. His lips twitched slightly, eyes narrowing towards the brunette in worry. With a raspy voice that almost sound unused, he whispered, "Hoshi."

The little girl appeared under the doorway, causing some of the shinobi to jump back in both fear and shock. She turned apathetic eyes towards Naruto then the Uchiha and Naruto once again, "Hai? Naruto-sama?"

"Bring him back."

A frown graced her lips. "For the human? Without regard to the rules?"

Naruto closed his eyes painfully, "_Please_. Bring him back."

"This will cost you a lot, Naruto-sama."

The blonde gave a small smile, letting a soft sad sigh escape his lips. "I know."

The little girl returned the smile though hers was mockingly happy. She went to Sasuke's bedside, scowling at the Uchiha, and placed a hand on his chest "This will hurt more than anything that you could possibly think of in your all of your lives." She whispered in some sick sort of satisfaction.

To everyone around, they could see nothing but a little girl with her palms over a dead man's chest. They could see nothing happening, just Hoshi and Naruto standing still as though time caught hold of them. Then, as the little girl took her hand away, the dead man's chest bolted upright, clutching his shoulders in pain. A silent scream escaped his lips as he stared at nothing, pupils dilated. After that moment of invisible pain, he dropped his head to his chest, clutching the sheets with white knuckles and taking in air so greedily.

Uchiha Sasuke was alive.

"Tsunade-sama, Sakura." Naruto's voice woke them up from their shocked trance, "Can you please check if his chakra system is working well?"

"H-hai…." Sakura cautiously made her way to Sasuke's bedside. With one chakra covered hand, she checked his system twice. Her face scrunched to a smile, tears running across her cheeks, and wrapped her arms around the Uchiha, whispering, "You're fine…you're alive…as if you never died in the first place."

Sasuke pushed the medic nin off him lightly. His muscles were still aching from that indescribable pain he felt a while ago. He looked at Naruto who just offered him a smile. But something was wrong with that smile. It made Sasuke's heart ache instead of flutter like it used to. He turned to his side and saw Sakura and Tsunade. The rest of the gang was looking at him in relief past the open doors of the room.

"Sakura, what happened…to me?"

No one dared to answer the Uchiha's question. All eyes turned to Naruto who kept his attention focused on the shinigami under his elbow, whispering unheard words to the girl.

"_What happened_?" Again, Sasuke repeated but none met his glare.

"We're not sure…what _exactly_ happened…." Sakura started, wiping away tears with her fingers, "Naruto brought you to the tower in the jounin exams and you were…dead." She choked slightly, "Tsunade-sama and Naruto healed you and then…that little girl…she brought you back…." She eyed the shinigami suspiciously.

Charcoal orbs focused on Naruto. All he could remember was running through the forest and looking for Naruto because…Akatsuki was there. Then he found him and _Itachi_—

"What about Itachi?"

Sakura turned to Tsunade, cocking her head in question. Tsunade turned to Neji and Shino, who just shook their head in response.

"We never found him, Tsunade-sama. We're not sure he's within Konoha territory anymore." Neji explained.

"No, not that." Sasuke clutched his head in worry, "After I blacked out…Naruto and Itachi…how did he get away from him?"

It was question none of them asked. Sasuke was dead and Naruto was acting delusional that all they could think of was the two of them. The ANBU looked for Itachi but it was for Konoha's safety, not for Naruto's. And the only person who knew what happened during the time between Sasuke's blackout and this time was…Naruto.

"Sasuke…you were an idiot."

Sasuke looked up, searching for those blue eyes but found only the fiery red of Kyuubi's eyes.

"You shouldn't have taken that shot for me." Naruto growled, clenching his fists in anger.

Black eyes narrowed towards him. Sasuke couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had just saved Naruto's life and all he received was rage? "What the hell are you talking about! I just fucking saved your life and this is what you have to say!" he shouted, "You were being upped by Itachi! Do you _think_ you could've beaten him!"

"Well, I did pretty good job making him leave!"

"You could've _died_, Naruto!"

"Better me than you!" Naruto stomped his feet, rage taking control of his actions, "It wouldn't have mattered if _I_ died! It wouldn't have been a problem! Everything would've turned out better in the end! But you, Sasuke…YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DIED!"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. He tried to stand up but Sakura forced him down, "YOU IDIOT! OF COURSE IT WOULD MATTER IF YOU DIED!" he hissed, "Have you ever stopped to think that there would be people who would get _hurt_ if you disappeared!" He closed his eyes as the memory of those five years came back to him.

"IT WOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT!" Naruto's eyes returned to their normal blue. He panted, his voice tired from all the outbursts. He took a deep breath and spoke with a shaking voice, "Hoshi is under my pledge, Sasuke. The reason she's here is to bring me back to life every time _I_ get myself killed. That's what she's been doing for all those years I've been gone…. I have no choice in it…." He turned his face away from Sasuke, "She's not here to revive anybody else…."

"All those years…?"

Naruto chuckled nervously, "How do you think I got to the Demon Realm all those years ago? You've heard Hoshi. Either those ways or you die…." He smiled softly at Hoshi, who returned the smile with one of her own.

Sakura looked at both Sasuke and Naruto. She couldn't understand what they were talking about but…that look on Sasuke's face…she knew it wasn't something that'd help any of them.

"Why do you think I have a shinigami with me? Uzumaki Naruto died a long time ago and his life was given back by a shinigami's deal."

* * *

You know, I only noticed how many mysteries/secrets this fic has in this chapter. Then I go, "I still have to reveal this!" and, "No! This is important as well!" and, "You need this to make that happen!" and whatnot. This fic is going longer than expected 

If the mysteries are too much, I'll try to see if I can slash away a few of them XP

Oh, and I _did not_ kill and revive Sasuke just for the fun of it nor is it to emphasize Hoshi's importance or skills. I suggest you remember the scene there well. It plays a _big_ role in the end :)

I don't want to make Naruto omnipotent despite the whole Demon Realm thing. I want him to have his weaknesses, to struggle to win and all that :)

Thanks to: **Carrot**, **ebonyS2**, **Toma Kaze**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **Icy Sapphire15**, **Ky0Kichi**, **chidori86**, **Lunamaru**, **Ashrey**, **half-demon628**, **tishu**, **Kyorocks34**, **coruscate**, **FireTemptress**, **neie**, **seijin**, **Ro-chan13**. You're all so _cute_! XDXDXD


	13. XII : Curtsey to the Gods

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Hoshi is mine. Naruto is Sasuke's – er, I mean Kishimoto-sensei's.

**Note:** I'm just gonna take this time to thank everyone who contributed to the hits. I got lucky and glimpsed the 19696 hit. I was so excited and shocked that I actually took a screenshot of it. Obviously, for the connotation of the number XS It's not everyday I get to catch such a number XDXDXD

* * *

**XII. Curtsey to the Gods**

Sakura stared at the cup of tea in front of her. She tapped her clasped hand onto the table, biting her lip in worry. She hadn't expected to hear _those words_ come out of Naruto's mouth. "Uzumaki Naruto…died…." She whispered softly. She flinched as she repeated those words. She sighed, lifting her hands to her lips that it looked like she was praying.

"Saying a prayer to the Gods?"

The medic nin looked up. It was Ino.

Ino grinned at her best friend. She knew how hard it was for her to hear those words from Naruto, especially after Sasuke had just died – and brought back to life by a notorious shinigami. "It's kinda hard to believe, isn't it? That Naruto died and was revived again by that little girl." She said, sitting across Sakura, "But after that feat with Sasuke…I'm not surprised if Naruto's immortal or something like that."

Sakura returned the smile, "Yes…I know. I just can't deal with the fact that Naruto died and he acted so…_normal_ about it." She sighed, "What if he had died so many times already and that shinigami just kept reviving him? Wouldn't that hurt? Sasuke was hurt so much he couldn't even scream. What if Naruto felt that so many times?"

"Wouldn't he have said something then?" Ino asked, attempting to reassure her friend.

"…I don't know." The medic nin shrugged, "I guess…I don't really know Naruto much. He used to complain about little pains, ramen and Sasuke's name-calling but I've never heard him complain about things that…_hurt_. I don't know if it's because he doesn't want others to know…or he doesn't trust us."

"Naruto is a strange guy." Two pairs of eyes turned to the door way. "He acts like a happy idiot around people but he doesn't know which things he needed to say."

Sakura laughed slightly, nodding at the statement, "Yes, that's right, Shikamaru. Naruto's exactly like that which is why it's so hard to understand him when he shows so little."

Ino rolled her eyes, "What are you doing here, Shikamaru? Don't tell me it's to comfort _women_." She laughed haughtily.

"Che." Shikamaru passed an annoyed look at the blonde chuunin, "Tsunade-sama sent me. She wanted to talk to everyone who heard Naruto that day. I'm a messenger…again. So troublesome."

"It's because you're _too_ lazy! Hokage-sama's making _you_ the messenger to get your ass up and working instead of lying all day staring at the clouds!" Ino playfully slapped the lazy jounin's back.

A laugh echoed from Sakura's lips, "You know, I usually do that with Naruto – the slapping and all – but we haven't had that act since that shinigami came." She wiped away the tears in her eyes, "But I guess we should go to Hokage-sama now. I don't want to make her angry."

Ino smiled, "Yes, we should get going." It felt better to hear her friend laugh again.

- - -

When Sakura, Ino and Shikamaru entered the Hokage's office, the first thing the medic nin did was to rush past the waiting shinobi and stand in front of the Hokage's desk. The chair was turned around so that she couldn't see the person sitting on it but she was sure it was Tsunade and the Tsunade she knew did not approve of low punctuality with her students. "Sumimasen, Hokage-sama, we're sorry to have delayed this meeting."

"Hmm…_Ho-ka-ge-sa-ma_. Could you call me that again? I like the sound of it."

"Na-Naruto?"

The chair swiveled slowly. There sat the vulpine blonde with crossed-legs, tapping the armrests in a random tune. A bright grin flashed on his face, almost as if to mock the kunoichi in front of him. "The chair's very comfortable as well. Now, all we need is for Tsunade-baabaa to step down the throne, ne?"

The medic nin frowned. She turned to the other shinobi in the room and asked, "Did you know he was here all along?"

"Why yes, Sakura-chan! Naruto-kun's been sitting on the Hokage's chair since we were summoned here!" Lee offered graciously, giving the kunoichi a shining smile along with his good guy pose.

"Then, we're still waiting for Hokage-sama." Sakura sighed in relief. At least she wouldn't have to face the Hokage's wrath.

"The old hag's not coming at all." Naruto said, crossing his arms at the back of his head, "I'm the one that had the meeting made. This was the only place I know where nobody could spy upon us…especially since we're going to talk about _a lot_ of information that's not supposed to be out at all." He leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. She turned panicking eyes towards the rest of the group, who only replied with a shrug and a nonchalant look.

"Akatsuki." Naruto breathed, "You know about them, right? They attacked Konoha a few years ago. You know, when I was gone. So I'm sure you know what they can do." He smiled when he saw all of them nod in agreement. "Good. I'm gonna need you guys to prepare for them."

Confusion quickly darted from one shinobi to another.

"Prepare for them? Are they going to attack again? Shouldn't we tell the council?"

"The council?" Naruto laughed lightly, "No, no. We can't do that. For one thing, they won't listen to me. For another, I'd have to explain where I got the information. I'd have to tell them about Hoshi and then, they'd go, 'You Monster!' on me and throw me out of Konoha and Hoshi would get angry and I wouldn't be able to stop her and everybody else from doing to Konoha what they do to me. And all my efforts to come back here and be Hokage would be useless because there wouldn't be any Konoha anymore." He said in a tone that could prevent anyone from taking him seriously. He casually shrugged his shoulders as though it was an everyday thing for powerful villages to disappear.

Sakura paled considerably. She knew that Naruto wouldn't lie to them about that but the tone he used just made it seem scarier instead of safer. She shifted from one foot to another, unable to take the suspended silence after Naruto's words. With pleading eyes, she turned to the blonde, hoping that he'd just continue with the meeting but all she saw was a bright smile that mocked her.

"Basically, we just need to have a quick routine of which things should need to be protected and moved." Naruto crossed his arms. A thoughtful pout was on his face which made him seem like a child telling fictional stories to an adult.

Curious and doubtful looks passed between the shinobi. Konoha's safety had always been a priority of any nin but as of the moment, it was Naruto and the shinigami that had them worried.

"The children should be first as should be. We should place the jounin in the frontline, chuunin in the middle shield and genin in the innermost shell. We could prevent more deaths and infiltrations that way, ne?" Naruto turned to Shikamaru, cocking his head in question.

The lazy jounin grumbled, sending an annoyed expression towards the blonde, "You shouldn't worry about the citizens of Konoha. They're always brought to the shelters first."

Amusement twinkled in the blonde's eyes. Naruto chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, "I guess so but who knows what Akatsuki will do now? They retreated before because they couldn't find what they were looking for." He sighed, "…But it's not like it's here now either. Akatsuki just…doesn't listen."

The shinobi looked worriedly at each other. They knew that notorious group was after Naruto though not why. That became clear to them all when the group came and attacked the village, upturning every stone in search for the blonde. What boggled them was _how_ Naruto knew about the attack.

"Naruto…how—"

"Hoshi." Naruto replied as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, "I thought you would've figured it by now since you all know about her being a shinigami." He shrugged. He flashed them a grin, showing that he was in no way angered or offended by the spread of such classified information.

"Shinigami…." Hinata repeated, "What…exactly…is a shinigami?"

Blue eyes grew dark in confusion. Naruto leaned forward, tapping his chin with his right hand, "Shinigami. A death god. You know those creatures that manage souls. They're always around but they're not strong enough to…uhm…_solidify_." He paused, finding it hard to say the right words, "Would you like to ask Hoshi? I'm not good with explaining such stuff. I can call her here if you want."

All the kunoichi in the room quickly froze up.

"No! Who knows what she'll do when _she_ hears us like this?" Sakura screamed in panic.

A loud amused laugh echoed through the room, mocking away the sudden fear Sakura felt. "Hoshi _does_ hear us. _She's_ a shinigami. _You're_ a shinobi. And a shinobi would _at least_ have one near-death experience!"

The medic nin paled.

"Hoshi watches over everybody. It's annoying sometimes but it's her frickin' job." Naruto rolled his eyes, "It's how I find out about Akatsuki and Konoha. Tsunade-baabaa says Hoshi's useful that way except that she rarely helps."

A wave of relief washed over Sakura. It seems that the shinigami doesn't get offended easily. "Then…when you first came back…why did you ask me how everyone was doing? With that girl along, you should've known."

Naruto's tan face suddenly got splashed by red. He nervously darted his eyes away from prying emerald ones. "You see…I don't really have time to…uhm…check up on _all_ of you…so…well…I could only check up on…uhm…_one person_." He tugged at his collar then fanned his face with his hand, muttering, "…a bit _too_ hot…."

Sakura blinked, a teasing smile creeping onto her lips, "Naruto…what are you--?"

"ANYWAY," Naruto slammed his palms on the tables, causing a small earthquake for the penholder and the papers near his hand, "We should focus on Konoha as of the moment. _I'll_ lead Akatsuki out of the village while _you_ guys make sure that Konoha gets its defenses up."

"But what about you…?" Sakura asked the question everybody wanted to hear.

The blonde flashed them an assuring foxy grin. "You shouldn't worry. I'll be fine. Do you think I'll _stay_ dead with Hoshi around? She's only here because she says I'll get myself killed." He snorted, running his finger through his blonde locks in annoyance.

A certain wave of relief washed over them all. For a moment, they were thankful for the shinigami's presence.

"You're overstaying in my office, brat."

All eyes turned to the entrance of the room. With a confident smirk stood the Hokage, arms crossed with her fingers tapping her elbow in impatience.

"You've warned them about Akatsuki already so there's no need to continue this meeting." Tsunade crossed the room with long proud strides, "I trust you all to be ready when Akatsuki _does_ attack during the jounin exams. The information is still not a solid fact but if Hoshi expects it, then it would most likely happen."

A cloud of seriousness enveloped the room. It was the Hokage's orders and, as shinobi, they were to follow with little to no question. Especially if it talks about the safety of Konoha.

Tsunade smiled. These were shinobi she could put all her faith into. "Then, you're dismissed."

The shinobi stood up and turned to the doors in an almost mechanical state.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you this." Tsunade called, stopping their steps, "All information about Hoshi is classified and are not to be mentioned outside of this group. We cannot risk any confrontations with shinigami."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

- - -

"I don't like it."

Questioning eyes turned to Shikamaru.

"Don't like what? Naruto?" Ino queried, her palms placed on her hips in disbelief.

The lazy genius shook his head, "No. The way Naruto talked to us." He answered, "There were only a few times we had a mission together and during all those times, he's never taken lightly the enemies. And I don't think Akatsuki's an exception."

"Yeah…now that you mention it, it _does_ seem strange. The last time we encountered Akatsuki, Naruto was so furious nobody could stop him." Sakura said, tapping her chin in deep and worried thought.

"Maybe he's just an idiot."

"KIBA!"

"What? I just think you're making this too big." Kiba shrugged, "As far as I know, Naruto's always been a carefree idiot."

"That's because you _never_ had a mission with him." Sakura rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to clobber the canine man.

"I had one mission with him!"

Chouji snorted, "Yeah, but _you're_ as much as an idiot as you make him to be."

"Hey—!"

Hinata grabbed Kiba's arm, dragging him down before any physical fight could be initiated. She wanted to hear what Shikamaru had to say. She had been watching Naruto for a long time and she couldn't help but agree to the suspicion, "Kiba-kun, please calm down. I think Shikamaru has a point."

Kiba opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it when he saw the irritated looks everyone was giving him. His shoulders slumped in defeat, "Yeah, yeah. What's the deal anyway?"

"That Naruto is acting unusual and he's not telling us anything about it though we're comrades." Shino answered, pushing his shades up the bridge of his nose.

"And…?"

They all looked at each other in question. They were worried. That was all. What about, they didn't know.

Shikamaru sighed, "It's either Naruto's expecting or going to make something happen—"

"If that's the case, then it'd be Akatsuki."

"—or something has already happened."

Then came that silence that always visited whenever they talked about Naruto. A kind of silence that told them how little they knew about the Naruto now that they couldn't even continue a conversation about him.

"I'll get my squad ready for Akatsuki." Neji said after a moment's time. He bowed to Hinata and left the group. Shino followed shortly after, saying something about his duties as an ANBU and their roles as friends.

"Let's just support Naruto-kun! And help however we can!" Lee lifted a clenched fist, determination burning in his eyes.

It didn't matter if they knew nothing of Naruto's situation. All they could do was help.

- - -

Naruto sat in front of his small dinner table. The side of his head rested beside his outstretched arm. With his other arm, he tapped the table softly with his fingers. A long sigh escaped his lips.

"…I shouldn't have said something like that to Sasuke." He mumbled, slamming his palm on the table, "Now things are more complicated. How am I supposed to explain the whole I-died-five-years-ago thing?"

"Tell him that you died because of Konoha's will and that you got transported to the Demon Realm because of Kyuubi's efforts. Then I found you and offered to revive you in exchange for a favor."

Naruto glanced up and was welcomed by the shingami's smiling face. "Oh, hi there, Hoshi." He greeted half-heartedly, "You make it sound so simple but they don't really take death well, you know. They all believe that it's the end of all things and all that whatnot. Hearing it would make them think I'm psychotic and suicidal."

The shinigami pursed her lips, "Then you should tell them that human souls are practically eternal. It's just the body that's not." She said as though it was common knowledge. Well, common knowledge for shinigami probably.

A chuckle vibrated the blonde's throat. "I'll probably tell Sasuke."

Hoshi scowled, raising a brow in question.

"Just because he knows most of the details already!" Naruto raised his voice to protest an unspoken argument, "It'd be easier to tell him unlike the others! I'd _have_ to tell them so many things first!"

"That's one of the reasons." The little girl nodded. She stared at those vulpine blue eyes that matched her own and whispered, "You love him."

Naruto quickly sat up straight. He bit his lips in worry though he glared at the shinigami. "Why don't you just get me some ramen from Ichiraku, Hoshi?" he said almost forcefully, "Now."

Hoshi shrugged her shoulders, offering the blonde a smile, "Okay, Naruto-sama. Hoshi follow." She stood up, towering over Naruto since she was standing upon the table. She waved at him and jumped out of the window without any more words.

Naruto sighed. His head dropped to the table with a loud bang. A soft smile graced his lips, "It's okay. Sasuke's worth it." He wrapped his arms around his head, hearing the calls of slumber.

Then a rap at the door sent him jumping out of his seat.

"Coming!" Naruto stood up then tumbled over his chair.

Again, the door called for attention.

"I said I'm coming!" He kicked the chair with an angry force that made a whole on the seat. He paled, blinked, then laughed. Naruto stood up, pushing the remains of the chair under the table. He was going to get Hoshi to fix that later. For now, he needed to answer to that annoying knock on the door.

"What is it?" He swung the door open. Naruto blinked.

"Tell me when you stop being an idiot and let me in, dobe."

"And what if I don't want to, _bastard_." The blonde practically hissed the insult. It had been a long time since they actually insulted each other like that.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question. He placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder and pushed him out of the door's way. Within a second's flash, he was inside the apartment, with the door behind him closed.

Naruto growled at him but refrained from snapping at the brunette. He made his way to the loveseat in the living room and plopped down, gesturing Sasuke to follow. "So what do you want now? Some explanations? Don't expect me to answer them all and I made Hoshi do an errand so don't count on getting much."

"I just have one question." Sasuke sat down beside Naruto, "And I'm sure you know what it is." He side-glanced at the blonde.

Naruto shrugged, "I'm not lying when I told you I died a long time ago." He answered, "You know Konoha made me disappear all those years ago. It was Kyuubi who brought me to the Demon Realm so that we wouldn't just vanish into thin air but I died then – do you know how _weird_ it is to see yourself dead? – then Hoshi found me. She revived me in exchange for a favor though I couldn't really say no at that time." he grinned, rubbing the back of his head in what seemed to be embarrassment.

"I told somebody to wait for me and I figured, it's not really waiting if I could never come back, ne?"

Sasuke didn't like how Naruto was acting. It was the same during the meeting they had earlier. The blonde was acting to carefree to be real. And that was just it. It wasn't real at all. He just couldn't bare to look at such a smile.

"Naruto—"

"You know, death isn't as bad as it sounds. I visit the Underworld every year. I get to see the Sandaime, Kakashi-sensei's teammates, the people who died during Kyuubi's attack and…the Yondaime…." Naruto smiled, fiddling with his memories of the Fourth, "Because human souls are…eternal…I get to visit anybody I want."

Sasuke frowned, covering up that flash of worry that passed his eyes. He wondered if such a thing was as good as the blonde made it to be or just…bittersweet…like that smile the blonde had. He came here to get answers for his questions and now that he was getting them, it made him feel worse instead of better.

Because…looking at Naruto…he could see a sadness that he couldn't understand.

"Naruto, why are you telling me this?"

Naruto titled his head in question, "What? Weren't you the one asking?"

"But you don't answer me."

"Well, be happy that I do now!"

Sasuke grabbed the blonde's shoulder and squeezed tightly, glaring in rage.

Naruto glared back, trying to defeat the brunette in his own game. After a few minutes, he closed his eyes, "Okay, Hoshi just reminded me of something." The grip on his shoulder tightened and Naruto was never going to admit that it hurt, "Something…something about you…that you _don't_ need to know."

"If it's something about me, then I have every right to know." Sasuke pushed the blonde, cornering him at the edge of the couch.

"No, it's better if you don't." Naruto grabbed the hand that was on his shoulder but the brunette tugged his wrist away, forcing it on his side.

Sasuke searched those determined blue eyes but gave up after a few looks. He was never good at reading people and Naruto wasn't an exception, especially when that silent light in those blue eyes kept distracting him. "It's about Hoshi reviving me." He stated rather than asked, "I've heard from Sakura. There was a cost for that and by the sound of it, it's not something small."

Naruto turned his head away, "Everything has a cost, Sasuke. It's a rule that everybody follows. The Demon Realm and the Underworld are just strict about it. I just paid what Hoshi considered as something equal for your life." He bit his lip, clenching his fists tightly.

Sasuke's grip on Naruto's shoulder and his wrist loosened slightly. "…You didn't need to do that, baka. I didn't ask you. Do you honestly think it would be okay for me? I don't fancy having debts I don't even want." Though his words were meant to insult, the tone of his voice was too soft to be considered angry.

A nervous chuckle escaped the blonde's lips. He turned to the brunette with his trademark foxy grin and said, "You're worth it, Sasuke. So start acting like you are."

Looking at the bright smile, Sasuke couldn't help but feel drawn as though he was faced with a whirlpool in the water. And the next thing he knew, his lips were placed upon soft tan ones. The hand that had gripped the blonde's shoulder slowly found itself entangled in blonde locks as the finger on the wrist gripped Naruto's back, pressing him closer to the brunette's body.

All coherent thought was thrown out of the window as Sasuke pushed Naruto's head closer to his own. He ran a tongue over the blonde's lips, asking for entrance that was quickly granted. His tongue flicked at the back of Naruto's teeth as he explored the blonde's hot wet cavern.

He could feel the blonde's arms grip the back of his shirt, crawling up until they reach his shoulders but the moan that he elicited from Naruto's mouth caused him to forget about the touches that seemed almost too desperate to be the blonde's. Sasuke smirked in satisfaction, knowing that he was the reason for all those sweet and erotic noises he could hear escaping their locked lips.

Naruto moaned once again as Sasuke went to work with pleasuring his partner with his tongue. He gripped Sasuke's shoulders tighter, pushing him closer for heat and attention that he had wanted for so long. Then he realized.

Sasuke was kissing him.

And he was kissing back.

* * *

Let me just clear one thing about immortality. _Immortality_ is not dying of old age. _Invincibility_ is not dying due to physical harm (like Achilles with no Achilles' heel). Poison and sickness can still affect a person who is both immortal and invincible. Ultimately, nobody can escape death. (I learned that from a friend of mine who's an LOTR addict XD) 

The kissing scene was done while listening to "Tobira" of Hunter x Hunter, the Leorio and Kurapika version – where Kurapika's gayness was too obvious. I think that's why the word "erotic" found its way there XD

Thanks to: **Ky0Kichi**, **RuByMoOn17**, **Wolfkun**, **ebonyS2**, **half-demon628**, **Love Squared**, **kori hime**, **FireTemptress**, **Kyorocks34**, **Icy Sapphire15**, **FireieGurl**, **seijin**, **natures candy**, **Yume Tsuki**, **tishu**, **DesperateMeasures**, **Toma Kaze**, **Ashrey**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **shooki**, **chidori86**, **mike**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **DemonDays**


	14. XIII : Unbowed, The Gaze Met

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Hoshi is mine. Naruto is Sasuke's – er, I mean Kishimoto-sensei's.

**Note:** I made a forum for this fic (which I forgot to mention on the last update). The link is in my profile if you wish to see it. It'll be important for the next chapter since that's where I'm going to post the stand of Konoha, Suna and Akatsuki in accordance to the manga. Thank you.

* * *

**XIII. Unbowed, The Gaze Met**

"You kissed him."

Hoshi kept a steady indifferent stare upon Naruto, who was pacing back and forth in front of her.

"NO! _I_ didn't kiss him!" Naruto threw his arms in the air, his face flushed in both embarrassment and anger, "_He_ kissed me!"

"You kissed him back." Again, the shinigami replied with the same uncaring tone as before.

"I – I – I _didn't_!" The blonde shook his head furiously. He ran his fingers through his hair, taking long and strong steps unconsciously. The kiss wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to kiss back when Sasuke kissed him. And most of all, he wasn't supposed to continue while a certain shinigami was watching at the door.

"I told you." Hoshi started, sitting properly on the couch she was perched on, "You love Uchiha Sasuke and I'm sure you know that he likes you just as much…but then, that's the problem. It's hard to resist when it's a mutual affection." After all, it wasn't because she was at the doorway that Naruto pushed the Uchiha away. He wouldn't need to worry about being watched because she _always_ watches over the blonde.

Naruto stopped walking, frozen by that familiar stare the shinigami was sending his way.

"Your credibility is on the line, Naruto-sama." A small reassuring smile crept up the little girl's lips, "Naruto-sama makes good choices anyway. Whatever you decide upon will surely be the best there is."

The blonde returned the smile. With a sigh, he fell on the couch, just beside the shinigami. "We don't have to worry about Sasuke anyway." He leaned back, looking up at the empty ceiling, "After all…I pushed him away." He closed his eyes, recalling the scene from yesterday. It was simple. Naruto pushed Sasuke away when he realized Hoshi was watching them then locked himself in his room without as much as a glance.

"Sasuke wouldn't talk to me anymore after something like that." Naruto slapped his palm on his forehead. He took a deep breath and faced the shinigami with a forced smile, "And that's what's best for everybody…especially when you have to think about three worlds." He laughed in an attempt to fool himself from what he truly felt. He was, after all, a shinobi and should not let his emotions take hold of his actions.

Hoshi frowned. She never liked how the blonde would think of everyone and soon neglect himself. She couldn't understand how _anybody_ could even do such a thing. And she hated it most when it's for someone that couldn't understand the rules of fair trade, "Except for you."

"Hmm? What do you mean for me?"

"It's what's best for everybody but not for you."

- - -

"You kissed him."

A loud bang echoed through the empty Uchiha compounds as the door to Sasuke's house was slammed harshly in front of Haruno Sakura. She smiled. She originally came to visit Sasuke to find out more about Hoshi and Naruto but when the Uchiha refused to even _look past_ her, she knew something was wrong. When she mentioned Naruto's name, she was met with a closed door. And she knew: something must've happened between those two and it wasn't just misunderstanding due to a few words.

So, Haruno Sakura, a woman in her twenties, took it in her own hands to fix such a dilemma. After all, she was a woman. And she's the only person that could bridge Sasuke and Naruto.

It took hours of door-slamming before she could get a good idea of what was going on and that last loud slam confirmed her suspicions.

Sasuke kissed Naruto. And by the looks of it, it didn't go too well for Sasuke. The only question was what Naruto did. Haruno Sakura wasn't blind. She knew Naruto liked Sasuke probably as much as the Uchiha did. The blonde's reactions are just complicated.

"Sasuke-kun!" She pounded on the door, "Let me in if you don't want your door destroyed!" she rattled the knob violently until, with a soft click, the door was unlocked and she let herself in the house with a woman's mission blazing in her determined eyes.

Sakura quickly made her way to the living room where she spotted the Uchiha sitting on one of the couches, tapping the arm rest absent-mindedly.

"So you kissed him." Sakura said in confidence, "And what happened?"

Sasuke remained quiet, never meeting the inquiring glare the medic nin was using on him.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. She didn't need verbal response from the Uchiha. She could always try and guess what happened. After all, she has all the time in the world. Yes, the medic nin Academy and the shinobi hospital could wait. "You forced him into it…now didn't you?"

Sasuke flinched. He was not ready to deal with anything about Naruto as of the moment. Not when the memory of that kiss is still fresh in his mind but Sakura is a persistent young woman. And Sasuke just wanted her to go away. "That idiot…said _something_…. I couldn't stop it."

"You did." Sakura breathed, covering her mouth in order to stop herself from squealing, "And how did Naruto react?" she was at the edge of her seat, excitement taking hold of her actions rather than worry.

Sasuke scowled. He narrowed his eyes towards the medic nin, letting all anger ebb from his glare, "He _locked_ himself in his room." He hissed.

Sakura blinked. "Oh." A mix of worry and shock was evident in her tone, "B-b-but that _can't_ be right. I'm sure Naruto cares enough to at least say something about it. He wouldn't just run away like that. He wouldn't be so desperate to bring you back to life if he didn't feel _strongly_ about you."

She recalled all the memories she had of Naruto, evaluating his reactions to Sasuke. Sasuke and Naruto were more than friends – _that_ she knew. Less than lovers, maybe, but near it for sure. For Sasuke, it was obvious. The only person he paid _real_ attention to was Naruto. For Naruto, it was hard to find but it was there. His desperation to bring the Uchiha back – from both Orochimaru and death itself – just confirmed her suspicions. Had she read those actions wrongly?

"No…I _can't_ be wrong…. I'm sure…Naruto…I'm sure _he_ cares."

- - -

Sasuke had avoided Naruto after that incident. He would usually be out of the village, taking high-class missions that would take days to finish. Sakura tried talking to Naruto but all he did was smile at her and divert the conversation to something else. She had even tried asking Hoshi but the shinigami remained quiet, saying something about her loyalty to Naruto.

And as much as she wanted to spend all her time lifting that heavy silent air between her former teammates, she couldn't neglect her duties as a medic nin. She didn't dare ask anybody for help. After all, it wasn't her problem. It was just something she had decided to fix.

Sakura only saw Sasuke and Naruto together around a month afterwards. And that was because it was time for the final part of the jounin exams.

"Good luck with the exams, Ino, Naruto!" Sakura greeted, putting on her brightest and most reassuring smile.

Ino smiled back, giving the medic nin a friendly hug as a welcome, "Oh, I _do_ hope I pass the exams this year!" she whined loudly, "It's a good thing I'm not fighting Naruto in the first battle! It won't be a fair fight!" she sneered at Naruto who just shrugged his shoulders in return.

"We'll be facing each other soon enough if you win your battles." Naruto grinned, folding his arms behind his head.

"Don't count on it, Naruto. Ino wouldn't _last_ past the second fight." Kiba flapped a hand, chuckling loudly.

Ino scowled. She kicked Kiba on the shins then punched him hard on the head, making the shinobi fall face first on the ground. "One _more_ word, Inuzuka." She glared, her fingers ready with the shintenshin seal, "_One more word_."

Naruto laughed along with Sakura as Kiba scampered away from the furious Ino, hiding behind Hinata's back.

"You should probably head down to the waiting area." Sakura smiled called to Ino. She turned to Naruto, smiling her brightest and said, "Good luck. We all know _you're_ going to pass the exam, one way or another." She tugged the blonde closer, "And don't let _us_ be more ready than _you_."

Naruto chuckled, "Hey, _I_ gave that warning. Of course I'd be ready!" he puffed out his chest in pride, "Both for the jounin exams and Akatsuki."

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked worriedly, "After all, you and Sasuke—"

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan." The blonde said in a hoarse whisper, "I'm better. I'm good. I'll take care of things." He glanced at the Uchiha who was leaning on the wall, arms crossed with his stoic face. As Sasuke turned his head to the two of them, Naruto turned back to the medic nin and pulled her closer, cupping a hand to her ear and whispered,

"I'll take care of Sasuke."

"Naruto…." Sakura bit her lip. Those words almost made her cry and the childish tone just made it worse. She just couldn't understand why Naruto would push Sasuke away when he seemed to care so much.

The blonde grinned, "See you after the jounin exams." He said loudly, patting Sakura's shoulders in friendly demeanor.

"Naruto! Aren't you coming down already?" Ino called from the door, her hands placed on her hips in impatience.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "Wah! You're _too_ excited about this!" he waved his arms in the air, running towards Ino.

"Oi, dobe."

The blonde paled. He whirled his head to the brunette with shocked and questioning eyes.

"Don't lose those battles there."

A grin broke through Naruto's confused features, as though he just recieved a present he'd been waiting for all his life. "Of course I won't! I'll win them all the way!"

Sasuke smirked. He stood up straight and chucked his hands into his pockets, "Because I'm the only one you can lose to."

Naruto pouted, a growl escaping his clenched teeth, "You're such a bastard, Sasuke. Can't you even wish me good luck without being such a prick?" he shook his fist in annoyance, "Bah, you're never nice to me."

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders and turning his back to the blonde. For now, such a reaction was enough.

"_Naruto_! Are you coming or what?" Ino's voice screeched in impatience.

"Okay! Okay! I will! Sheesh!" Naruto ran to the door. He stopped just before he was out of the room and turned to Sasuke's retreating back with spaced-out eyes. He blinked and shook his head vigorously then grinned towards the brunette who either didn't notice him or chose to ignore him. "Com'n, Ino! Let's go!"

Sakura watched as both blondes disappeared from the stands before turning to the brunette. "Mhmm, can't bear to stay away from him?"

Sasuke remained silent, watching the two blondes hurry to the group below. He smirked when Naruto tripped and brought Ino down with him. "…he's an idiot." He said softly, "He'd have to take care of himself when Akatsuki attacks. And I don't want to be the reason for his failure."

Sakura giggled, "You know what he said to me a while ago?"

His eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"That he'd take care of you."

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, "Che." He smiled, turning soft eyes to the arena below, "Really such an idiot…."

- - -

Blue eyes grew dark in wariness. Naruto wasn't going to let himself take another hit from that Stone nin. His normal physical attacks didn't seem to throw him off balance. Like in the chuunin exams, he had relied mostly on taijutsu with a small mix of ninjutsu but it seemed useless to someone who uses the whole expanse of the ground beneath them.

But Naruto still had a million tricks up his sleeve.

The Leaf nin crouched down low so that his chest was only a few inches away from the ground. He slid a hand to his pouch and took out a set of shuriken, flinging the metal stars around him in a perfect circle. He smiled. His opponent was nowhere to be found but he wasn't worried about that. All he needed to do was to lure the fish out of the water.

His fingers could sense the light vibration on the ground. Naruto dug his fingers on the earth, pressing his ear closer to the ground. Without warning, the earth split open right under the blonde and a Stone nin emerged with an uppercut along with rock spikes that formed as the nin left the earth.

Naruto was thrown upwards and the spikes grabbed him, making innumerable holes on his body. The Stone nin smirked in victory but his face soon fell when his victim vanished with a comical poof and a cloud of white smoke. From the smoke, the blonde appeared, falling fast with a ready kick upon the nin. In panic, the shinobi started to summon once again his rock spikes but the spikes under him popped into duplicates of his opponent. The innumerable Kage Bunshin went into formation, using each other as springboard for an attack from below.

Before the Stone nin could even close his eyes, the kicks and punches met his torso and head, as though trying to rip him apart by force. He opened his mouth to scream but no sound was heard. His vision started to slur as the skies seemed to melt on him, drowning him in fear.

Then everything disappeared. The Stone nin blinked. The pain was gone as though it had never been there in the first place. The only thing he felt was that weight on his back that had him pinned to the ground and that cold touch of steel on his neck. He realized; it was all a genjutsu. He silently wondered when his opponent made the genjutsu.

"When I threw the shuriken." Naruto answered, whispering over the Stone nin's shoulder, "It's a field genjutsu. Not that it matters if you know because you'd never be able to do it." He grinned then jerked his head to the referee.

"Uzumaki Naruto wins the fight!"

Naruto jumped off the Stone nin and grabbed his shuriken with one sweep of his arm. He turned to the stands and spotted Sasuke with little effort. He swung his arms behind his head, shrugging as he walked out of the arena. He vaguely heard the referee call the next pair of fighters when he spotted the Mist nin appearing from the doorway.

He donned his brightest grin and greeted the shinobi as he passed him, "Good luck!"

The Mist nin didn't spare him a glance but as Naruto reached the doorway, he found himself looking at the retreating back of the shinobi. He frowned. There was nothing eye-catching about the shinobi; light brown hair with dark eyes along with the typical Mist nin hitai-ate and outfit. And his chakra levels were normal for any shinobi that aspired to be a jounin.

Naruto turned his head away from the shinobi, tucked his hands into his pockets and quickly made his way out of the battle field. He needed to ask Hoshi to check on that shinobi.

- - -

Kakashi brought down his hitai-ate over his right eye and sighed. That genjutsu that Naruto used on the Stone nin was…for the lack of a better word…_mystifying_. For any normal shinobi eye, the posture and glaze on the shinobi's eyes would indicate the hold of the genjutsu. His sharingan never picked up the seals used neither did the Stone nin's chakra flow get messed up nor did he notice any use of Naruto's chakra.

But he captured the movement of Naruto's mouth as he whispered to the Stone nin.

"A field genjutsu, huh." Kakashi repeated, "So he threw the shuriken to mark the range of this so-called genjutsu."

"Hey, could you do a check for me?"

Kakashi turned his head to the voice. He brought down that notorious orange book he always had and saluted to the speaker, "Yo. Nice fight you had there, Naruto."

Naruto blinked. He looked at Kakashi with surprised eyes as though he had only seen the jounin for the first time. "Ah, hi Kakashi-sensei. I didn't see you there." He grinned.

"Ah, so you were talking to yourself. That's a good way to organize your thoughts."

The blonde raised an eyebrow in question, "Ah, yeah. Okay. I'll remember that." He replied, "Okay, Kakashi-sensei. See you. I need to talk to Hoshi here for a while." He pointed behind the jounin.

Hoshi smiled, enjoying the slight shock she saw in the jounin's eyes. "Okay, Naruto-sama." She skipped her way to the blonde, clicking her heels together as she fixed her posture before him.

Kakashi laughed lightly. "I never noticed her there." He nervously ran a hand through his hair, "Oh well. I'm sure I won't get into too much trouble with that shinigami." He quickly buried his nose into his book, trying hard to push away any thoughts about the little girl.

- - -

"Hey! Naruto! Good luck with the next fight!" Ino greeted. She had lost on her second battle just as Kiba had said, much to her annoyance but it was a round robin so she still had two battles to go like Naruto had (there were only four shinobi who passed the previous test).

Her face fell when Naruto turned to her with serious piercing seas of blue. She flinched when he grabbed her shoulder.

"Ino, could you do me a favor? Your next battle's after mine, right?"

Ino nodded.

"Go to Sasuke and the others. Have them ready."

Ino's eyes grew wide. She gasped audibly then rivaled the seriousness in Naruto's eyes, "Sure. No problem." She turned to the direction Naruto came from and hurriedly made her way to the others.

Naruto sighed as Ino disappeared from his sight. "Go and check the village, Hoshi." He turned his head sharply to his shadow where Hoshi stood as though she had been there all the time.

Hoshi looked up then back at her feet. "Mhmm, Hoshi will go follow. I'll come back when you get yourself killed." She shrugged, "The other one is waiting around Konoha for a signal from the inside." With those words, she vanished just as he appeared.

Naruto closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. "Now…to face that Mist nin…."

He turned to a corner and followed the hallway until he passed seven doorways and made another turn. At the end of the hall, he saw the Mist nin walking his way, eyes locked with his own set of blue. He gulped.

"…Itachi."

If the Mist nin was surprised, he showed no sign of it. Instead, he grabbed Naruto by the shoulders and slammed him to the wall. Dark eyes melted into the distinct red of the sharingan as the rest of his genjutsu was shed like snake skin. "I didn't expect you to know this early but…it seemed like you had a good source of information."

"You killed that Mist nin. The deaths are easy to get." Naruto hissed. His eyes darkened into purple but before he could focus any of his anger, he felt the collar of his clothes tighten and he pulled from the wall. He felt a lump form in his throat as Itachi's sharingan closed on his blue eyes that he could see his nervous face in the Uchiha's orbs and feel the warmth of his breath.

"It's about time you come with me to Akatsuki." Itachi's eyes traveled to the blonde's navel, "We need the power you hold." He whispered to his captive's ear.

Naruto glanced to the side, his grip on Itachi's wrist loosening as he avoided his gaze, "…You'll never have him…."

Itachi glared. He pulled the blonde off his feet and threw him to the wall behind them with so much strength that the wall crumbled at the impact. With the same indifferent stare, he looked at the fallen form of his target jinchuuriki, "Just hand over the Kyuubi."

Naruto pushed himself up, his whole body shaking in anger. He glared at Itachi with blood red demon eyes. A low growl escaped his lips.

Itachi raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Naruto had no plans to come with him quietly. He smirked. This was what made this jinchuuriki so interesting.

"Kyuubi…Kyuubi's not here anymore. But if you want his strength, I can _give_ it to you." Naruto barred his teeth, his eyes glowing in the dim light.

The sound of a loud explosion signaled the start of the Akatsuki's attack.

* * *

I actually made an outline of why Naruto doesn't get together with Sasuke already. It turned out really complicated It's one of those things that I couldn't reveal without revealing something else and something before that and…well…you get the idea XD 

And then, this chapter came late. Okay, someone guillotine - I love that word! - _guillotine_ me XDXDXD Sorry, got stuck with the fight scenes in the next chappie :(

Thanks to: **ebonyS2**, **Ky0Kichi**, **natures candy**, **twilights-aura**, **HikaruNoJingoku**, **Ashrey**, **FlamencoPenguin**, **kori hime**, **gaki05**, **tishu**, **FireTemptress**, **DarkvsLight**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **mike**, **Dragonist**, **DaisyAnimeluvr**, **YueYoukaiEclipse**, **Marauding-Stripes**, **Kyorocks34**, **NaSasu**, **FoREvEr ends**, **lookingatglass**, **strength-91-possibility-none**, **Ally Inu**, **Minastara**


	15. XIV : For Each Sacrifice

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Hoshi is mine. Naruto is Sasuke's – er, I mean Kishimoto-sensei's.

**Note:** For people who want to see the Akatsuki-Konoha-Suna strength discussion thing, go to the forum located in my profile. Thank you.

* * *

**XIV. For Each Sacrifice**

Kisame watched the walls of Konoha, smirking as he saw the unsuspecting guards pacing across the walls. He swiped a hand across his Samehada, slowly unraveling the unusual blade from its bandages. He crouched down low then sprung up, destroying the branch he was standing upon as he did. He gripped the hilt tightly then brought the sword down on the walls.

But the sound of crumbling stone never reached the nuke nin's ears.

"What the—!" Beady black eyes widened as he saw his Samehada being stopped by a cross of two kunai, "You're that…"

"Konoha's Beautiful Blue Beast!" Gai laughed haughtily. With a swing of his arms, he pushed Kisame away from the walls, teeth shining in pride. The jounin stood up straight, an arm tucked behind his back with the other taunting his enemy to attack, "You will not catch Konoha by surprise!" he glanced at the guards crouched down beside him and nodded.

Kisame grinned in an attempt to retain his upper hand in the game. "Konoha? Maybe just you. Your stupid guards don't look too good to me."

Then, as though on cue, blurs of black and white lined up behind the jounin: ANBU.

"We were waiting for you." The ANBU captain walked forward, eyes watching warily behind the white falcon mask as Kisame took a step back. He raised a hand sharply, throwing the kunai swinging on his finger towards the nuke nin with little effort.

Kisame jumped up and gripped his weapon tightly. He was just a distraction and as long as he could keep these shinobi busy, he would achieve his goal. He doesn't have time to think about _how_ these people found out about his and Itachi's plans.

But he never had time to execute his attack. A strong force slammed on his blind spot and he was thrown off balance. His vision slurred, pupils dilated and—

"A mizu bunshin."

Gai watched the water from the bunshin sprinkle on the ground. He frowned, crossing his arms, "Ah, so I see. That guy was weaker than I expected." He nodded, "He must've thought he wasn't worthy to face Konoha's Beautiful Blue Beast! But he is wrong! Everyone is worthy to my eyes!"

The captain sighed. After all, he had spent _all_ of his genin years exposed to such…_Gai-ness_. "We've assembled other ANBU teams on the other walls of Konoha. You search the forest with a two kilometer radius limit then search the village. I'll gather a status report from the other teams."

The masked shinobi saluted, quickly jumping into their set assignments.

The ANBU captain looked at Gai and nodded respectfully, "Gai-sensei, please keep watch over this side of Konoha." He waited for the jounin's approval and then jumped away to his self-assigned mission. He skidded to a halt when a loud explosion caught his attention: the arena for the jounin exams.

He clenched his fists, watching the clouds of dust rise from the stadium afar. With a bit of hesitation, he turned his head away from the scene and focused on his task. For now, he would need to concentrate of the safety of the village. Naruto is more than capable of handling situations such as this. Naruto would take care of himself.

At least, that's what Neji hoped he would do.

- - -

When Ino dashed towards Sakura and Sasuke with panic written all over her face, they knew the Akatsuki had come. They wasted no time in conveying the message to their comrades – mostly through Lee's help since his speed was still the best Konoha has. The Kage of both Konoha and Suna had acted immediately when presented with the information and ordered the evacuation of the stadium despite the confused looks the shinobi at their disposal kept sending their way.

Tsunade had more trouble getting Konoha to act since the council had quickly stood up against it but after seeing how prepared Suna was to protect Konoha from an enemy they themselves know not, they gave in to the Hokage's will. They would not be bested upon their very village.

Sasuke, on the other hand, cared little for the confusion that caught all of the Konoha citizens and shinobi in the stadium. He had wanted to ask Ino about Naruto but the blonde kunoichi was quick to run away and spread Naruto's message. He wanted to search for Naruto but Sakura had insisted she go and give the message to the jounin – mainly Kakashi.

He was quick to find the Copy Nin but before he could leave and look for Naruto, he was stopped with a barrage of worried questions from Iruka who just happened to be with Kakashi.

Then the stadium started shaking.

It was light at first that both genin and normal citizens wouldn't notice but Kakashi, Iruka and Sasuke felt the quake with ease. A second later, another wave struck; this time ten times larger than the one before that the walls seemed to moan in pain. It wasn't long until a final wave shook the structure and everyone toppled to the ground in both surprise and fear.

Sasuke hissed. This earthquake was surely caused by chakra and the fact that Akatsuki was here and Naruto was nowhere in sight just sent his senses into paranoia. He hoped that this wasn't some impenetrable jutsu that Akatsuki has created and was now using against the blonde.

And the sound of crumbling earth and uncontained explosions sent his senses haywire.

The lack of balance Sasuke felt was quickly forgotten. He stood up and focused on that trail of smoke rising to the heavens. The panicking crowd was invisible to his eyes. He passed the people with ease, jumping from wall to wall.

He _needed_ to see Naruto.

"Sasuke!" Iruka called but his voice was drowned quickly by the screams of the increasing stampede. "Where is that boy going?" he gasped as Kakashi dragged him out of the mob's way.

"You shouldn't worry about Sasuke. No doubt he'd go and find Naruto." Kakashi answered, "For now, we should control this crowd or we'd have more causalities than Konoha could handle."

Iruka bit his lip, eyes still focused on his former student. "But Naruto himself wanted to face Akatsuki alone and he and Sasuke tend to get into unnecessary verbal fights." He sighed.

"If there would is one person that could give Naruto all the help he needs, it would undoubtedly be Sasuke." Kakashi offered the chuunin a smile, "_Your_ worries are _unnecessary_. Those two look out for each other. They'll bring each other back safe and sound."

- - -

Sakura and the others had put all their faith into Naruto. They all believed that Naruto could and would come back from a battle with Akatsuki in flaunted victory. But Sasuke wasn't like them. He, of all people, knew of Naruto's capability of taking care of himself but he wasn't about to put something as intangible as faith onto _that_ blonde.

Sasuke was going to make sure that Naruto came back safe and sound. And he was going to do that with his own hands.

Another explosion reached his ears and he pushed himself harder, trying to exceed the limits of his body.

Then he saw him.

From that towering pillar of smoke, Naruto tumbled into the air, landing roughly on the roof of the nearby buildings. He glanced sharply at his place of origin and started running away. It wasn't long before the dark shadow of Akatsuki's capes descended from the pillar, moving smoothly towards the blonde, like a shadow that follows a figure with ease.

"Aniki…." Sasuke whispered, watching his brother chase after the blonde. He cursed lightly under his breath. The last time he let his thirst for vengeance take such a strong hold of him, he died and caused Naruto to lose something…something he knew was important. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice in one lifetime.

With a hiss, he flipped into the air, determined to follow Naruto. Not Itachi.

- - -

Naruto made a quick glance over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed in anger but he forced himself to look at the path he followed. He needed to bring Akatsuki out of the village at all costs. It was the only way to ensure Konoha's safety. His skills…will only end up destroying most of the village in a battle against Itachi. And he doesn't want to risk Konoha throwing him away again.

Because he wouldn't be able to return once that happens.

Naruto shook his head vigorously. Now was not the time to think about the time he has in Konoha. The Leaf shinobi were all fighting to prevent Kisame and his little horde of mizu bunshin and mercenary nuke nin. He alerted as much shinobi as he can about Akatsuki and he trusted them to react accordingly at the time of attack. And the only people who would listen to his warnings, aside from the original teams of his generation, were a bunch of genin.

"I just hope Hinata doesn't get mad at me for putting her students in such danger." Naruto muttered as he pumped more chakra into his steps to increase the speed of his travel.

The trees were swallowing his form with ease. He bothered little with the nin who tailed him. He knew that Itachi would follow, trap or not. That Uchiha had more pride up his sleeves than the amount of skills he carried. But that never made Itachi a fool to be messed with.

Blue eyes narrowed in recognition as the red and black trademark cloak of the Akatsuki met his steps.

Naruto flipped back with ease, landing on a lower branch.

"You care too much for a village that cares too little for you."

Naruto snorted, "Yeah. I know. Everybody seems to say so. I have my reasons, reasons that the likes of you would never understand." He pointed at Itachi, eyes glowing brightly into red.

Itachi looked down, staring with indifference at his target. "I've entertained your game of tag," He glanced at what remained visible of the village afar, "For that village of yours." He turned Naruto, the wheels of his sharingan turning in danger, "And now you should come with me. Taking away that demon won't take too long."

"Do all Uchiha have a disease or something? None of you seem to _actually_ listen to what I say!" Naruto flung his arms in the air. He sighed then muttered, "At least Sasuke's starting to take some time." He closed his eyes tightly before glaring at Itachi. "You can't take him away anymore! Kyuubi's gone! AND HE'LL NEVER COME BACK!"

"I don't play games, Naruto. That earthquake you made a while ago is not something human chakra can create." Itachi's eyes narrowed in what seemed to be irritation, "And neither was that fire you used the last time. Amaterasu is a skill available only to a Magenkyou bearer. Don't be such trouble and just come willingly. Do it for that village you love so much." He spat the last sentence in mockery.

Naruto unconsciously put a hand over his stomach. "I'm taking his place…." He whispered softly. With unreadable eyes, he met his clear blue eyes with Itachi. "The soul extraction would never work on me." He answered, "Especially if it's a faulty jutsu created by human concepts and chakra!" he growled, blue orbs dimming to his demon eyes, "You're sinning against the Underworld and _that_ is something you wouldn't want to do."

Itachi remained stoic. He jumped down to a branch closer to Naruto's and said, "I see. You weren't…in this realm…all those years ago. It's no wonder we couldn't locate you." He almost smiled when the blonde jumped in surprise, "Come on then. Show me what that Underworld can do."

A grin spread on Naruto's face. He pressed his palms together and placed them close to his chest. He lowered his head and touched his knuckles with his lips, making him look like a child in prayer. Hesitation is the weight that drags you deeper into the ocean. Solidity of views is the answer to stability. Stability will prevent any possible backlash.

Naruto lifted his head and stared at Itachi. His breathing was even and controlled as though he has trouble doing it unconsciously. "Oh, don't expect much from me. The Underworld can do much, _much_ worse."

Itachi had expected a grand display of Kyuubi's skills – the strength that could destroy a village with one lash of a tail. A normal human chakra highway would never be able to survive such foreign chakra but he knew Naruto would never be considered "normal". There was no shock displayed in his face when a wall of fire encircled him and his target, burning all the trees within the walls which included the one he was standing upon.

With one graceful leap, he landed on the ground unharmed – the one thing he wasn't expecting to be when faced with Kyuubi's strength after his last encounter with the blonde. But such use of fire wasn't something to worry about. That was something they came prepared for.

"The fire…" Naruto said softly as the walls of fire melted away, leaving a wide clearing in the once abundant cluster of trees, "…Kyuubi was the icon of fire. He's gone now. But I have his strength…along with the duties he left behind. And some." He unclasped his fingers and lifted heavy eyelids to reveal fiery red eyes.

"You won't be prepared for this."

With speed that Itachi never expected to see, Naruto ran towards the Uchiha. The blonde stopped abruptly in front of him, crouching down low in his unconventional stance. Naruto stiffened his hands to form imitations of knives and brought his fingers up in one solid swipe. A trail of flames followed the path of his hands, forming a sickle of red flames in midair.

Itachi flipped into the air and landed swiftly behind the blonde, sliding his feet across the ground to tilt his opponent's balance. But Naruto was quick to react. The blonde rolled forward and pushed himself back to his low stance with his elbows but before his could regain his composure, a strong force met his back and he was flying forward, past Itachi.

A Suiton slammed onto Naruto's back, pushing his further away, to the edge of the clearing he himself created.

Normally, Itachi would rather face any opponent on his own. But Naruto was not an enemy. He was simply something they needed to acquire. There was no need to spend so much time capturing a jinchuuriki when there are better, less time-consuming ways.

"Impeccable timing, isn't it? You seemed to have some troubles back there." Kisame swung his Samehada down, pushing the tip into the ground.

Itachi stood up, dusting away the dirt that clung to his cloak. He shot his companion a glare, "There's no need to waste energy over something we need to capture alive." He turned to Naruto, who was standing afar with flames encircling him in a shell of protection, much like the defense of that jinchuuriki of the Sand, "But it seems like this jinchuuriki is built to face me."

Naruto snapped his fingers and the flames around him dispersed. "You know, I've already told Sasuke not to use Katon against me. It won't work. Fire can't hurt me." He glared at Kisame, "And just because you're good at Suiton doesn't mean you'll win."

"Yes, how _is_ my otouto?" Itachi replied with a hint of mockery that deviated from his usual monotone, "The last time we met he wasn't in too good a shape."

Naruto's eyes flared in anger. He clenched his fists tightly, keeping them at his sides as he shouted, "He's in better shape than you will be when I'm through with you!"

"How touching. You're going to kill me the way I killed him?"

"No. _He'll_ do that himself." Naruto gave a feral grin, his eyes focused solely on the Uchiha across him – so much that Itachi found it hard to break away from those demon eyes.

But he could see that mischief brewing behind those black feral slits. Itachi knew there was something that blonde knew that he _should_ know. With eyes still locked with his target jinchuuriki, he focused his senses to detect any approaching chakra signature – something he hadn't done for a long time since it was mostly on an instinctual level to him.

Then he felt it, seeping into him like water through cloth. And he wondered why he couldn't feel that too familiar chakra signal until this moment.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

A humongous ball of fire entered the side of the clearing, heading straight for the Akatsuki members. The nuke nin made no effort to avoid the jutsu. "Suiton: Suikoudan no Jutsu." Water condensed around Kisame, forming into the shape of a shark that swallowed the fireball midway.

Both jutsu exploded into a wave of mist.

"So I wasn't just imagining it." Kisame swung his weapon, fanning away the mist that separated him and the source of the Katon. "Your brother really _is_ alive." He smirked at his partner as he easily spotted the crouching figure of Uchiha Sasuke among the branches of the nearest tree – the wild spin of his sharingan was too hard to ignore.

"'Imagining it.'" Itachi repeated. He broke his staring match with the blonde and turned to face his brother, whom he regarded with one raise of an eyebrow, as though he was some cockroach that just couldn't die with one smash.

The nuke nin from the Mist shrugged, "Yeah. I felt his signature when I was tailing you but since you said you've killed him with you Amaterasu, I assumed I was just dreaming it. You know, paranoia. The signal disappeared when I entered the clearing so I never bothered."

Itachi frowned, "And you should have bothered." He looked at his brother then turned to the blonde, "That wall of fire…was not just to clear the forest." After all, trees provide chances and time, something that Itachi could abuse with ease. And using a defense similar to Sabaku no Gaara would provide trouble in a closed space.

Naruto smirked. He glanced at Sasuke, letting a small worried frown pass his face, and then faced Itachi with the same anger-filled determination he sported at the start of the battle. "This is my field, my territory. It's _my_ rules that are followed here and I limit your range to this clearing." He spread out his arms to indicate the clearing he made.

"And all we need to do to get out of that hold is to knock down the source." Kisame barred his teeth and rushed forward, his Samehada clenched tightly within his fingers. He brought down his weapon and a wave of water came dashing towards the jinchuuriki.

Naruto crouched down and swiped across the ground with his foot, creating a similar wave of flames that slid down the earth. He lifted himself up in one spin, bringing a double wave of fire with the movement of his arms.

From the trees, Sasuke leaped into the battle field, going through the seals of his previously used jutsu. He breathed deep and fired a fireball as big as he used with the other one towards Kisame's back. He turned around in midair, well-aware of his brother's presence behind him. He lifted his arms in defense just in time to block that chakra-enhanced kick Itachi sent to his chest.

The moves were quick but powerful. The fire wave along the ground, pushed Kisame directly below Sasuke's attack while the flames Naruto produced with his arms destroyed the water attack. Kisame shielded himself from the Katon with his Samehada though it didn't prevent the flames from reaching his cloak.

Without another second lost, Naruto swiftly moved to the edge of the clearing and used the trees to spring himself strong enough to catch Sasuke. They fell onto the ground with a soft thud and wasted no time in getting onto their feet, their backs leaning upon each other's.

"Sheesh, Sasuke, you shouldn't have followed me at all." Naruto glanced at the jounin, "I could handle them without you! I wouldn't have said so if I couldn't!" he elbowed Sasuke's ribs a bit harder than he meant.

Sasuke glared at the blonde but he resisted the urge to snap back. "I'm just here to make sure that you _do_ come back." He nodded towards Itachi and his partner, "I'll take on Itachi. You could take care with your chakra monster counterpart." He took a step forward but the tight grip that encircled his wrist caused him to stumble back slightly. He turned to the blonde with furious eyes but they were soon replaced with shock when he saw clear blue eyes staring back at him instead of the dangerous red that matched his own.

"No, you're not. You're not going to face Itachi." Naruto pulled him closer, "At least not alone."

"What are you talking about, Naruto? We can't just _ignore_ Kisame! And I'm sure I can match Itachi's sharingan—"

"And you call _me_ an idiot." The blonde rolled his eyes, ignoring the pissed off expression Sasuke gave him, "You're not here to fight Itachi. I'm not here to fight Akatsuki." He shook his head, "_We're_ here to _protect_ Konoha. We're here to _survive_."

Sasuke smirked. He could never understand that undying desire Naruto has of Konoha's protection. All he knew was that the tone of Naruto's voice made that seem like the right thing to do. He wound his free hand over Naruto's hand and squeezed tightly, "You _are_ an idiot. Too much of an idiot actually." He muttered, pushing away the grip that loosened at his touch.

Naruto grumbled, resisting the urge to do some bodily harm to the jounin beside him, "Can you _not_ call me that when we're facing S-class nin!"

"But it fits, doesn't it?"

"Shut up, you bastard!"

It was a Katon from Itachi that interrupted their little make-up talk, one that Naruto easily deflected with a snap of his fingers. At that moment, it became clear to the two Akatsuki members that they were not going to bring these two down as easily as they planned. After all, Akatsuki was not a team. They were but a group of S-class nin.

And Sasuke wondered if Naruto knew beforehand that their greatest weapon would be their teamwork.

* * *

…So I have a habit of listening to songs when writing and it just so happens that in this very Akatsuki involved chapter, I was listening to _Akatsuki no Kuruma_ (yeah, four versions of it: acoustic, karaoke, piano and original one) from Gundam Seed. That was the song that told me what "Akatsuki" meant XD (because it was so close to "akai tsuki" which means "red moon") 

I've thought of making Kyuubi hold a different element, something not fire but…well…I like fire. Fire is pretty. Fire is good, beautiful and godly. I love fire. And I couldn't bear to choose another. I'll betray my beloved flames! XDXDXD Okay, bad pun XP

And yeah, the fighting scene seems to have too little battles. Sorry about that. But I figured it would fit more. The Naruto there is being careful about using his strengths against Akatsuki for reasons not yet revealed (or you could pick up the clues…?). As for Itachi, he recently encountered an unknown technique and therefore, would most likely study an opponent first before attacking. Doesn't Itachi strike you as a calculating shinobi? So it would fit only for him to make a sure measure instead of rushing head first.

I was supposed to end the Akatsuki fight at this chapter but it would make Akatsuki seem weak since they'll be defeated – what? A chapter after they came? So yeah, the end will come in the next chap :)

Thanks to: **kori hime**, **Kyorocks34**, **chidori86**, **Ky0Kichi**, **Icy Sapphire15**, **nope**, **Ashrey**, **half-demon628**, **ebonyS2**, **backdropjunkie**, **tishu**, **BleedingxEternally**, **frustrated**


	16. XV : The Start of All Things

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** Hoshi is mine. Naruto is Sasuke's – er, I mean Kishimoto-sensei's.

**Note:** Just a very important question: would you like the Demon Realm to appear? You know, the Red Moon thing to occur? The story could do without it but there would be a plot hole in the fic. Akatsuki's unusual scheduled targetting of the jinchuuriki would be unexplained. Because if _I_ were an S-class nin, I'd _never_ make myself _that_ predictable. I'd be caught too soon.

* * *

**XV. The Start of All Things**

They were like little ants lost from the trail they follow. Screams of panic and fear reached uncaring ears as crystal blue eyes watched over them as though they were lab rats meant for study. Shinobi were assembling in confusion as they led the untamed crowd outside of the arena. The Kage and the Daimyo were being escorted by Suna nin – highly unusual since Konoha was the host. For them to be unprepared in their own lands made them pathetic and untrustworthy.

A sigh escaped the shinigami's lips as she focused effortlessly all her attention to the Hokage. She stood up slowly, her small figure barely noticeable upon the roofs of the stadium. She pivoted with her heel and headed to Konoha's leader, ignoring the chaos ensuing below her.

Hoshi didn't care about Konoha. In fact, she didn't like the said village. She bore a hate that she knew Konoha deserved after all they put her liege through. Normally, she wouldn't even bother to think about a human village. They were not like those in the Demon Realm who maintain a constant link with the Underworld and therefore, she spends most of her time interacting with them…leading humans to think that shinigami are…demons.

Konoha should be happy that a shinigami is involved with them. Not even demon villages receive help from her. Shinigami do not get themselves entangled in situations that do not connect to the Underworld. They were not tools of wars…or summons…that would offer help for a good enough price. They are gods of death and their duties are to lead the souls to the Underworld and take account of the deaths. Simply that, nothing else.

And Hoshi was only watching over Konoha and watching over a few lives because of her liege, Naruto. Nothing else. She was not _saving_ that cursed village. She was simply following rules…rules that tell shinigami their distance to beings of other worlds and the extent of their loyalty to their liege.

It just so happens that she's the only shinigami privileged enough to choose a liege – choose because shinigami were superior beings; they do not bow to others with lives that could be cut with the touch of their fingers. It was no trouble. Hoshi chose to stay by Naruto's side for reasons that break the impossible.

Not that anyone would complain because, after all, she was not just a shinigami. She was the shinigami overlord and no one would dare stand against her wishes.

"Hokage-san?" The child-like voice of the shinigami interrupted Tsunade's attempts to calm the crowd and her guests.

The Hokage sighed in relief. She focused on the shinigami perched on the backrest of her seat, leaving the Kazekage to mold the chaos into order. "Thank heavens, Hoshi!"

Hoshi smiled, "Naruto-sama sent me. I'm here to watch over the village…and a few _lives_." her eyes flinched a little at the last word – it was unheard of! A shinigami? Protecting the lives of humans that possess an eternal soul? Blasphemy! But it was Naruto's order and she would follow her liege willingly.

"Good. What's the situation of our walls' defenses?" Tsunade motioned for the girl to follow along with a few trusted jounin. She jumped to the roof of the stadium and made her way to the Hokage tower with the shinobi and the shinigami tagging behind.

"They're fairing well enough." Hoshi said carelessly, "That Hyuuga is doing well with his squad. They've managed to defeat the first wave of Mizu Bunshin and alert the gate guards of the situation."

"And the level of alertness of the shinobi in the village?"

The shinigami almost laughed at the question, "On a scale of ten with ten as the highest, two – as expected from using genin teams to alert your village. But if you wish to know the safety, they're doing good – about level four."

Tsunade coughed. Had she heard that right? "_Genin teams_? No genin teams have been warned about the Akatsuki!"

"Naruto-sama's doing."

"Th-that little _brat_!" The Hokage grabbed a fistful of her hair, growling and cursing in frustration but what's done was done. She just had to put her faith in Naruto's decision, "What about the level of infiltration?"

Hoshi paused a bit. She closed her eyes and placed a finger over her lips, acting like the child her façade held. "Seven."

"WHAT! FROM MIZU BUNSHIN _ALONE_!" Tsunade screamed in anger, causing her jounin escorts to move a step back from her, "How could this be? I've heard about the massive chakra reserves of Kisame but I didn't think Akatsuki could infiltrate this _easy_." She muttered mostly to herself.

"Not Mizu Bunshin." Hoshi called in her mocking childish tone, "Akatsuki hired an army of mercenary nuke nin."

The Hokage snapped her eyes open. Of course, nuke nin. With the jounin exams, it was natural for shinobi from different villages to visit for the final stage – especially for those that just appear without previous notice. She had expected that Akatsuki would attack with their members alone since they were a prideful group.

"How could I have been this careless!" A frustrated sigh escaped the Hokage's lips. She turned to the shinigami, "Did. You. Know."

"Yes." Hoshi replied simply, "I don't have any obligations to this village. I don't have to help you. And Naruto-sama makes all predictions useless. His presence breaks the chain of fate. So no one could tell until it finally happens." She offered a smile to the Hokage but it was received with a scowl.

Tsunade closed her eyes, breathing in and out rhythmically. She sighed. There was nothing she could do about this shinigami's actions – she understood the reasons but sometimes she wished that the girl would care more about the lives at stake. She chuckled. Who was she kidding? "Of course." She breathed, "You would know."

Hoshi shrugged. She didn't really care one way or another.

Tsunade landed in front of the Hokage tower, her envoy following closely behind. She looked up, focusing on the top of the building. With one deep breath, she entered the structure, calling the attention of all shinobi with her powerful voice.

For now, she had to be the Hokage and nobody else.

- - -

Hinata watched worriedly as her students stumbled out of their seats, struggling to get out of the classroom to see the source of that explosion and the small earthquake they felt. She took a deep breath and called her students' attentions, "Calm down, please, and form a decent line. We'll be heading for the shelters." She ordered, her voice solid and superior.

The students grew from excited to fearful. Panic quickly caught most of the females in the room as they made their way to the crooked line of people that was forming in front of their sensei.

Hinata bit her lip, counting her students to make sure all of them were present. It was her duty to evacuate and alert everyone in the Academy. There were only a handful of them who were prepared for Akatsuki's attack and they had to spread their presence evenly to accommodate everyone in the village.

She just hoped that she could successfully accomplish her mission. She couldn't bear to be the reason for one of the students' deaths—

Hinata shook her head vigorously. Now was not the time to submit to her insecurities. She doesn't have room in her mind for what-ifs. She just had to make sure that all her goals will be what'll happen.

Even if she had to do it alone.

The rough sound of the doors sliding open seemed to echo in the room. Hinata rushed in front of her students, byakuugan activated. She was going to protect these children with everything she has.

"Sensei?"

Hinata blinked. She dropped her glare and replaced them with shocked and confused eyes, "Kiyone?" There in front of her was one of her previous students, the most recent genin Konoha has. "What are you doing here? You should be going to the shelters! It's dangerous—"

"Team 13 is here to help with the evacuations!" Kiyone saluted, grinning brightly at the Hyuuga, "Guaranteed to remove all bad luck from you!" she waved at a few of the genin behind her former sensei.

"But you don't know who we're up against! This is not something for play!"

Kiyone shook her head, "Oh, but we do know, sensei! Akatsuki, right? That whole bunch of S-class nuke nin?" she whispered close to her sensei so as not to alert the genin-in-training behind them. "Don't worry! Naruto-sensei told us! He said to start the evacuations once we hear an explosion! We've already evacuated most of the people in the Academy!"

"Kiyone! What's taking you so long! We're _supposed_ to move fast!" A loud slightly low voice called through the halls.

The girl frowned then turned to her right and shouted, "Oh, shut up, Shota!" she stuck out her tongue childishly then turned to Hinata with a smile, "Com'n now, Hinata-sensei! Let's move!"

Hinata was flabbergasted but she nodded nonetheless and let Team 13 lead her students into the shelters. She followed from behind, using her bloodline to scan the area for safety. Her eyes lingered on the members of Team 13 who were soon followed by Team 11 and 12. They exchanged some members as though it was a normal thing to do before leaving in different directions.

"Naruto-kun…." Hinata whispered softly. She was sure, no doubt, that it was Naruto who helped these genin. And she was thankful. At first, she worried about their safety but if Naruto believed in these children, then she won't hesitate to do so as well.

A sigh escaped her lips as her students entered the shelters. Her fellow teachers in the Academy were already lined up in defense though they all sported confused looks. Hinata looked at them and finally spotted last year's number one rookie briefing some of the teachers about the situation. It was an amusing sight but definitely not something you can bask upon, at least not now.

After giving some orders to the rookie, she set her way back into the village.

The evacuations were not over yet.

- - -

When Sakura entered the Medic Nin Institute, she was met with chaos. The medic nin were in panic. They didn't know where to go or what they should do. The trainees were in tears and at the sight of Sakura, they rushed to her way, almost begging to be ordered into duties.

Sakura gulped. She was ready for this. The survival of these medic nin would be the key to Konoha's safety and she was here to direct them to the right path. Handling the medical support for the battle with Akatsuki was her section, her task to handle.

"Send two medical teams for each sides of Konoha. Support the jounin and chuunin teams there. Go!" Sakura pushed the trainees of her, pointing at one of the high-ranked medic nin. "The Akatsuki are attacking. We don't have time to waste!" she called one of the lower ranked medic nin and instructed her to send a team to the shelters and assemble the support teams.

The whole institute looked at Sakura as though she was some sort of god. They nodded dumbly and followed her commands. Order soon seeped into the institute and a sense of calmness assured all shinobi as they gathered materials in the institute and transferring them to the hospital.

Sakura sighed, "I hope you're okay, Sasuke, Naruto."

- - -

"Don't let his Tsukiyomi win against you."

It was whispered softly, almost hesitantly, but it rang in Sasuke's head like an echo that ceases to end. And it was those words that signaled the start of an epic battle with Akatsuki.

The distinct blades of the Samehada slammed down between him and Naruto. They jumped apart. Sasuke's sharingan locked with Kyuubi's eyes and they launched forward, determined to stick together in the battle but another swing of the Samehada stopped Sasuke's tracks. He raised his arms in defense as the sword swung up in another attack that threw the jounin into the air.

With a quick flip, Sasuke faced his opponent and did a set of seals. He took a deep breath and fired six fireballs from his mouth. A Suiton blocked his attack and dispelled the flames, revealing the shuriken hidden within each fireball. Kisame smirked as the projectiles went over his head in a long lob.

"You sure you're using your sharingan correctly?" Came the mocking question but it was simply answered with a confident smirk.

After all, the shuriken weren't meant for him.

A few feet behind Sasuke and Kisame, Itachi was pushing Naruto with rhythmical punches and kicks, leaving no room for the blonde to breathe. Sasuke's shuriken cut through the air, zooming towards Itachi's back with a low whistle. His brother paused for half a second before flipping in the air to avoid the projectiles, leaving Naruto enough room to execute a quick side kick and uppercut that sent a tail of fire towards Itachi and Kisame.

The blonde sprung to the air, following the flames he sent towards the older Uchiha. He did a front flip and sent his heel crashing towards Itachi's skull but a quick jab of a kunai stopped the attack. Naruto grinned brightly as a comical poof was heard as he vanished in a puff of smoke: a Kage Bunshin. Itachi barely had time to notice the real Naruto use his clone as a springboard to jump over his head.

Kisame didn't miss that smirk on Sasuke's face. He frowned and whirled around, catching that tail of flames heading his way. He dragged his Samehada across the ground, causing enough dirt to spill over the flames and snuff out most them that he could blow the fire away with a swift fan of his weapon.

Only then did he notice the chirping that was distinct in one jutsu alone. An annoyed growl escape his throat as he used his left arm to deflect the chidori that was sent his way. He felt a soft thud on his Samehada as it was used to propel his opponent over his head. A boiling gash was left on his arm. His cloak was tattered, practically useless with all the abuse it has been receiving.

Sasuke and Naruto landed beside each other. They quickly leaned on each other's backs and exchanged places. It was clear to them that Itachi and Kisame were going to do all in their power to face them one-on-one but they were not going to let them take their greatest advantage in the battle.

"Problems with Itachi? It doesn't seem like you." Sasuke said in one quick breath.

"He seems to have figured out how I summon fire." Naruto hissed. He took a deep breath and crouched down, a Kage Bunshin summoned at his side.

Sasuke frowned. He back-flipped and landed on one of the clones, who boosted him into the air as Naruto released a circle of earth-bound flames. He flipped a handful of kunai with explosive notes attached to the ends and threw them in the same circle Naruto did. A few of them hit the Akatsuki members and exploded while the others fell on the ground like normal kunai.

"Damn fire for needing oxygen to work." Naruto cursed as Sasuke grabbed his arms and threw him towards Kisame who received a fire-coated kick with his Samehada forced into a shield once again.

Of course there were some catches to this power over fire. Sasuke himself needed to gather enough air to produce his Katon jutsu. It was only natural that Itachi, who was a Katon expert like all Uchihas, would instantly notice Naruto's need to maintain a constant and even breathing to create his flames.

But Naruto was not made of his flames alone.

The crackling sound of a Raiton quickly assured Sasuke's nerves as he saw, at the corner of his eyes, the blonde following up Kisame's Suiton block with a shock of lightning.

Then his sharingan caught a mirror of his own.

"Hello, otouto." Itachi towered over his brother, "I didn't expect you to be _this_ hard to get rid off…after how easy it was to kill the clan."

Sasuke grew rigid as anger rushed through his veins. He grabbed his arm that was instinctually starting up his chidori, squeezing so tight that he could barely feel his fingers. He gritted his teeth, using all his willpower to force his rage away. He couldn't bear to lose his concentration now, not when he's fighting with Naruto on his side.

"Like a cockroach that needs to stepped on a few times before it finally dies." The wheels in the Magenkyou sharingan turned slowly, as though challenging Sasuke's eyes for a battle.

Sasuke took a sharp intake of breath, glaring at his brother, "You won't win this time, aniki." His hands dove into his pouch and kunai holster, conjuring up his ninja stars and knives. With one quick flip of his wrist, he threw at his brother and the explosive notes he set up a while ago.

Then skies bled a dark crimson, swallowing his brother, the clearing and the surrounding forest.

"…Just some things you need to remember, otouto."

Sasuke jerked his head to the left, trying to find Naruto in the confusion but he was met with the start of a waterfall and the heads of statues he could never forget.

It was the Valley of the End.

He ran forward, determined to get out of this genjutsu when he saw Naruto standing upon one of the statues. A whip of shadows wrapped around the blonde's legs, creeping up to his knees like desperate hands. Black tails lashed out of nowhere and grabbed his wrists and swirled around his neck. Then the shadows penetrated his back, crawling out of his chest like a cluster of outstretched hands.

"NARUTOOO!" Sasuke launched himself forward but his feet refused to move from their places. He reached out his arms, in an attempt to save the person he cared about the most. He growled in frustration and pulled at his legs but they just wouldn't move. Only then did he notice the pair of slimy and pale hands that were wrapped around his ankles.

"Orochimaru…." He whispered, recognizing the yellow snake eyes that stared at him from under the water. Sasuke screamed in anger, "Let me go! I have to go and help Naruto before—"

And then came a horrifying, ear-piercing scream that seemed to shatter the very walls of the genjutsu.

Sasuke shut his eyes tightly, clutching his ears in an attempt to block out all sound but the scream remained in his mind like a never ending banshee. "N-N-Naruto…not again…."

_Don't let his Tsukiyomi win against you._

The brunette jerked his head up. He recognized that voice. He knew those words.

_Don't let his Tsukiyomi—_

He closed his eyes and turned his head to the black skies, concentrating on those too familiar words and calming voice.

—_win against you._

Yes, that's right. He shouldn't let his brother's Tsukiyomi win against him. He has to make his mind strong. For that person who was saying those words.

His shoulders relaxed as he focused on the voice. A faint roar of explosions reached his ears…reality.

_Don't—_

Sasuke snapped his eyes open, his sharingan wheels spinning faster than it had ever been. The black skies retreated to their origins as patches of color ate their way out of the shadows. He slowly lowered his head, vaguely taking notice of the explosions from the kunai he had thrown earlier. Naruto and him were supposed to use that to their advantage later in the battle…so why was it exploding now?

"SASUKEEE!"

The younger Uchiha whirled his head to voice causing a wave of nausea to wash over him. His vision was blurred and he strained to see the outlines of that blue blob he caught in his sight. He narrowed his eyes as the blades of the Samehada cleared into view.

Then his vision was replaced with an eruption of melted earth.

The Samehada flew into the air and landed beside Sasuke, half-melted and useless.

Sasuke combed a hand through his hair, trying to clear his thoughts and vision. Kisame was standing behind him, ready to strike with his blade. And then a tower of…magma?…erupted from the ground like some wild geyser. Which was…Naruto's doing? The effects of exhausting his chakra to escape the Tsukiyomi only made his thoughts slur into a barely distinguishable mass of goo.

But one thing was clear.

Hoshikage Kisame was dead.

* * *

The title…is from a paradox: "_They say war ends all things; but I say it starts them all._" …Which came to me while working on a Nero pic (because he's such an interesting psychotic king XD) So yeah, the title talks about war. But I'm not talking about Akatsuki.

I never planned on giving names to Hinata's students but it's kinda hard to write them without one ; But they're just extras. Just random people, yeah.

And the…damn…fighting scene! You don't know how _hard_ it is to choreograph _and_ write a fight where all of Sasuke's moves complement Naruto's and vice versa. Now I know why Kishimoto-sensei made most of his battles one-on-one. It's simple and clean. No need to worry about the "other people". And on a damn open field as well (even though that one was my fault…). We need trees for a wider range of strategies. Hopefully, I won't find the need to do that again. It shall be the death of me one day xx;

Also, don't think that the death of Sasuke's parents became unimportant when Naruto came. I just wanted the Tsukiyomi to show something different, something more recent so that the wound it touches is still fresh XDXDXD

For everyone who didn't want Kisame to die, here's my answer: if no one in this fic would die and stay that way, it would seem too safe for a shinobi life. It just so happens that Kisame is the most convenient one. There's no trouble of going through a funeral ceremony. I couldn't have Itachi dead because he'll die only by Sasuke's hands. Naruto says so

Thanks to: **dragonmaster1703**, **backdropjunkie**, **keele**, **half-demon628**, **Ky0Kichi**, **tishu**, **the leviathan**, **Kyorocks34**, **chidori86**, **inu-youkess**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **Ashrey**, **hello**, **ebonyS2**

**keele:** Ooh. I like your question :) Of course. Everything has a price. Naruto already paid for it, or rather, it's a long term payment. Well, it's hard to explain without revealing a large chunk of the plot but it has something to do with Hoshi because, she does, after all, handle the dealings with death. Okay, without explanations and reasons, it's basically this: In exchange for immunity to death, Hoshi wants Naruto to delete her (not "kill" because she's not "alive" to begin with). Why Naruto? And why that kind of price? You'll just have to wait to find out :)

**hello:** Why don't Sasuke and Naruto be a couple already? Because I'm an evil bastard. No, just kidding. But in this part, it ain't possible yet because there's a war going on and as much as I'd like them to ignore the whole damn thing and have a happy bed life, they can't.


	17. XVI : A Moon That Only Demons See

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim Naruto and I think Masashi Kishimoto-sensei would proudly claim it.

**Note:** I think...I kinda made Naruto a bit OOC. And well, I don't know. I think the chapter turned out lame XS

* * *

**XVI. A Moon That Only Demons See**

"S-S-Sasuke? Are you okay?" Naruto took a deep breath, his fingers digging into the dirt as he attempted to even his breathing. He was down on the ground, eyes flashing from red to blue. He shook his head, focusing on Sasuke, "Hey, Sasuke?" he called once again but the brunette gave no response.

Sasuke stared at the remains of the Mist nuke nin. There was neither a burned corpse nor signs of clothes. All that proved the existence of the nin was the melted remains of the Samehada and the black scorched bones that held a bigger resemblance to charcoal instead of remains.

If Naruto was capable of something like this, why would he hesitate to use it? Was this strength like Kyuubi's, like a curse? But Naruto was not someone who would fear his own strength.

"Sasuke? Sasuke? Are you still trapped in the Tsukiyomi?" Naruto's voice was strained and shaking, laced with worry. He stood up in one swift motion and rushed to the jounin, grabbing the other's shoulders and shaking vigorously, "Hey! Answer me, you _bastard_!"

Sasuke blinked. He narrowed his sharingan towards cerulean orbs and grabbed the hands on his shoulders. "Naruto." He breathed, pushing the blonde off him a bit harsher than he meant as he stood up straight and scanned the clearing. "Where is he? Where's Itachi?" he said in panic, fingers hovering over his kunai holster in instinct.

Naruto shook his head, "He's not here. He's gone." He stood up, clumsily knocking his knees together, "Disappeared after Kisame—"

"You _let_ him go!"

Naruto gasped, his eyes lighting up in frustration, "Well then, SORRY IF I WAS BUSY WORRYING ABOUT YOU!" he crossed his arms and kicked on the ground, mumbling incoherent curses to himself and the air around him.

A sigh escaped Sasuke's lips. He shook his head, running his fingers through his hair, "No, no. Naruto, shut up." He hissed as he tried to regain his thoughts a moment ago. His opened his eyes in shock, whirling towards the blonde. In one swift move, he grabbed the other's shoulder and spun him so that Sasuke's eyes locked with Naruto's own. "…You killed Kisame…."

Naruto paled. He glanced at the hole his flames created and barely distinguishable corpse. "…That was a mistake." He whispered, "I wasn't supposed to use _that_ much."

"Then you could do better…." Sasuke said in realization, "So why are you hesitating? That's not like you at all."

A small smile graced the blonde's lips. "I'm not hesitating, Sasuke. I just have many duties to keep in mind. I can't risk chakra exhaustion. Too many things will get affected in the backlash, not just me." He laughed a little, turning dull blue eyes at the brunette, "As Hoshi would say it, my fate is the fate of others. I don't have room to get myself into as much trouble as before."

There it was again. It was about the Underworld and the Demon Realm – things that Sasuke knew nothing about, things that left the Uchiha confused instead of relieved. "Naruto—"

"Sshh." Naruto silenced the other sharply, "We should get back to Konoha. Akatsuki's gone. Who knows what Sakura-chan and Tsunade-baabaa will do if we don't go back?"

Sasuke sighed. He released his hold of the blonde and nodded, "But you'll owe me a lot of answers later."

- - -

Again, the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi had eluded them. It was to be expected from a nine-tailed demon – especially during the extraction process – but never from the container himself.

It was trouble enough that the Kyuubi brat interfered with their capture of the Ichibi. They didn't have time or…the capacity…to bother with things like the Underworld and the Demon Realm. They had more information about such things compared to the rest of the Human world but against someone who _actually_ went to the other realms _and_ return? They might as well face a dead man in an afterlife trivia game.

"This…jinchuuriki…escaped our hands once again." A low and soft voice echoed through the darkness, bouncing from wall to wall in the musky caves, "Just the Ichibi and Kyuubi…and still you _cannot_ capture them."

Only silence answered the unsaid question of the voice.

"And one of our own is dead…." There was neither regret nor sorrow in the tone, as though he was stating a common fact that no one is interested in, "Find another to replace Kisame." A sigh escaped the speaker's lips. Then his tone changed to that of authority, "We should have enough time to reinforce our strength to be able to capture the last of the bijuu."

The members of the Akatsuki nodded in understanding.

"The Red Moon is rising."

- - -

"Sasuke! Naruto!" Sakura screamed as she saw her previous teammates come out of the forest. She rushed towards them, uncontrolled tears streaming at the sides of her face.

She was simply relieved that they were alive and well like the rest of their group felt, especially the Hokage. It nearly sent them all into panic when Kisame's Mizu Bunshin exploded into the droplets of water they were made from. They weren't given time to dwell on the sudden dispelling of the bunshin – Tsunade had instantly sent most of the alerted shinobi to search the village for the infiltrators.

With the Byakuugan, pinpointing the nuke nin became easier. The shinigami had helped with the locations but her reluctance to be involved in a so-called "human war" stopped her from helping with the capture of the nin. It was unnerving to see a little girl who possessed such suspicious knowledge watch the shinobi with indifference that it wasn't long before word got to the council and Tsunade was confronted about the shinigami.

It was only the graveness of the situation at hand that prevented the council and the Hokage from indulging in trivial matters. After all, it was better to face inner conflict after a battle than before it.

But now that Akatsuki was gone, there was no choice but to face it.

"Naruto-kun." Shizune called hesitantly. She didn't want to drag away the blonde right after he came back from a battle but he was the only one capable of explaining the shinigami to the council. "Tsunade-hime wants to see you."

"WHAT!" It was Sakura who screamed in protest. She had busied herself with healing the small wounds – thank heavens they were just minor ones! – her teammates had sustained and, as a medic nin and a friend, these two shinobi needed to have a good rest before meeting the Hokage or anyone else for that matter!

"Sakura, they're matters about the council and that little girl. Naruto's the only one who could answer their questions." Shizune reasoned but the tone of her voice suggested her agreement with the medic nin.

The two medic nin continued their weak argument while Naruto remained silent, as though he had heard nothing of the council and the shinigami. His face was scrunched into an expression of utmost concern and dread worry. Some might think that the blonde was just being paranoid about the village but Sasuke knew better.

It was not the village Naruto was worried about. It was something else, something connected to that "mistake" he did a while ago.

"Naruto." Sasuke called.

A sigh escaped the blonde's lips. He ran a hand through his hair, whispering, "Hoshi…where is she? I need her to check…something…." His eyes were cast to the ground, unfocused and dilated. He took a sharp intake of breath, jerking his head up, "I…I need to go." He turned away from the arguing medic nin, disappearing into the mass of buildings.

"Na-Naruto!" Shizune turned away from Sakura but, seeing the retreating back of the blonde, she hesitated. She sighed. "I guess the council will have to wait. I hope Tsunade-sama would handle it better." Her shoulders slacked in defeat. It wasn't that Tsunade couldn't handle the council; it was just her _agitated_ way of handling things that worried her.

Sakura smiled at Naruto's escape but she still couldn't help but be worried about the blonde. She knew, though, that her comfort would be useless since she knew nothing of the battle between Naruto and Akatsuki. Her eyes wandered to the Uchiha near her, tapping her foot in impatience. With a sigh, she turned to the crimson sunset sky, palms placed firmly on her hips. "_Sasuke_." She said in her scolding voice.

The Uchiha turned to the medic nin with a frown, wondering what he did now that would require that annoying scolding voice that he could never stand.

"_Follow_ him!" Sakura rolled her eyes, acting as though it was the most obvious thing to do…not that it wasn't. "You're healed enough!" She nudged the brunette with an elbow, "_Go_!"

Sasuke grumbled. He didn't like being told what to do, especially when it involved a very complicated vulpine blonde. Even if he knew it was the right thing to do. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned to follow Naruto, not once looking at what he knew was the pleased face of the medic nin.

What mattered at the moment was Naruto…just as it has always been.

- - -

Hiding information about a ten-year-old was a feat that could be easily done in sleep. No one would suspect much from a kid aside from a few genin abilities that would arouse as much suspicion as a shinobi would from an ant. This was what seemed to be the reason for a shinigami to look and act like a child…though a vulpine blonde claimed that it was because he liked being around children while the said ten-year-old said that she only aimed to present a link between a certain Uchiha and her liege.

Though the ANBU squad of the council had reported suspicious information about the child, they were only laughed at. After all, a ten-year-old cannot possibly face a whole squad of Konoha's elite. All blame for the incident was turned to a vulpine blonde who was soon accused of promoting child slavery...seeing as how the little girl called the blonde "master" but there was nothing to back-up such farfetched guesses and it was forgotten as quickly as it was made.

But the sight of the said ten-year-old unfazed by a supposedly surprise attack from a group of S-class nin was startling and disturbing. It nearly gave the council a heart attack when the little girl came out of nowhere, reporting the village's situation with confidence that could put an ANBU to shame. And when the child directed the locations of the rogue nuke nin, they were ready to commit suicide.

The council was ready to proclaim their suspicions, happily arguing with the Hokage while the village was in dire danger. All seriousness of the matter was put aside for the moment. Konoha would have to be saved before it attacks a supposedly helpless ten-year-old little girl.

But now that the danger has gone down to a practically harmless level, the council was ready to react.

Innumerous insults and accusations coated their _civilized_ conversation with a less than listening Hokage. Only when the little girl snapped back at them, protecting her liege with such ferocity, did the council drop their sudden and quick demand of the vulpine blonde.

And when the girl vanished with no signs of her ever existing, the council decided that they _may_ just be past death already. All the while the Hokage was wishing for the very same thing.

- - -

It was easy to know where Naruto would go. The blonde was neither at the Hokage monument nor Ichiraku so he was definitely within his apartment. He wouldn't be stupid enough to seek shelter in the training grounds right after a battle against two S-class nin.

And now, Sasuke was standing in front of the apartment's door, twirling the keys between his fingers.

Getting the keys was easy as well. It was a spare set hidden beneath one of the loose floorboards. He himself had told Naruto where to hide the keys, just in case the blonde locked himself out. But then, being a shinobi, it was useless to have spare keys since they had enough skills to sneak into their own apartments despite them looking like thieves in the middle of the night.

But Naruto insisted to have a spare one, just right after he came back from the Underworld.

With a soft tap, the doors swung open, creaking slightly. The apartment was dark. Only the soft light from the kitchen illuminated the furniture with a dull grey glow. Silence covered the room that Sasuke could barely hear the crickets under the early night sky.

The jounin entered the unit, closing the door behind him. His hands wandered over the switch despite his comfort in the darkness. The light came in little flickers before slowly glowing to its brightest. The light looked better within Naruto's apartment because Naruto was bright. He wasn't "dark" like Sasuke and Sasuke didn't want him to be.

The brunette paid little attention to the rest of the apartment, only opening the light switches he passed as he made his way to Naruto's room.

He took a deep breath. He found Naruto but he still didn't know what to say to him. He wanted a lot of answers to match his innumerable questions which he demanded a while ago but those words only came out of the spur of the moment. He didn't want to risk recreating the wall between them when he felt it dissolve just hours ago.

Pale hands wound around the worn-out brass doorknob. A soft click indicated the opening of the doors, letting a cool rush of wind whiff across the Uchiha's arm. Dark orbs quickly scanned the room until it rested on the moon-outlined form of the blue-eyed blonde. His trained eyes didn't miss the vanishing figure of the shinigami perched in the window sill.

Sasuke held his breath. There, sitting beside the window with his arms resting upon the window sill, was the calm figure of the blonde. His face was soft, looking tired yet relieved. Blue eyes watched the people below with a dazed expression. Sasuke moved closer but the blonde remained calm, as though he didn't feel the presence of the other.

And then it was that emotion again, that same foreign sadness from that other night.

The brunette paused. He didn't want Naruto to run away from him again, just after they were patching up their little bridge. It was better…if he left before he could do anything he'd regret later on…but he never regretted kissing the blonde…. He closed his eyes, willing the memory away. With one last look at the oblivious blonde, he turned around, ready to leave Naruto to his thoughts but a tug of his wrist held him back.

"Stay." It was a soft, childlike whisper.

Sasuke turned, his dark eyes facing crystal blue that shimmered at the moon's light. He opened his mouth to breath, feeling the cool air pass through his dry throat.

"Don't go. _Stay_." Naruto pulled Sasuke's hand to his lap, causing the brunette to fall roughly in front of the blonde. "Please?" he turned pleading eyes towards the jounin, squeezing the other's hand tightly between his palms.

Without words, Sasuke crawled behind the blonde, his hand never leaving the other's lap. Only when Sasuke stopped moving, did Naruto turned back to the window's view, assured that the brunette wouldn't leave any time soon. The Uchiha's arm was wrapped halfway around the blonde's waist, kept there with tan hands. If Sasuke was to put his arm around the other side of Naruto's waist, they would be hugging in a very intimate manner. But he kept his arm tucked safely on his side as time passed in silence.

By all chances, Sasuke was a man of silence but a few minutes in an almost creepy echo of nothing with Konoha's Number One Loudest Ninja was like hell in a sweet heaven of temptation. Naruto would _not_ be _this_ silent and solemn for simple reasons.

"…Is it…okay…already?" Sasuke started, his voice hoarse from the cold wind.

Naruto nodded, shifting closer to the jounin behind him that he was almost leaning on the other's chest. "Yes, nothing was damaged. The backlash never reached them, never even felt." He chuckled, "You don't know what I'm talking about, do you? And still you asked the right question. Funny."

The brunette tried moving back, away from the blonde, but his body refused to leave its place. If Naruto moved any closer, Sasuke might not be able to control himself and he _definitely_ did want a repeat of the aftermaths of the last kiss. The only thing he managed to do was to shake his head slightly, the strands of Naruto's hair tickling his nose.

Naruto lifted Sasuke's hand and placed it over his chest, smiling as he felt the sudden stiffness of the jounin behind him. "My strength," he started, "Comes with a price. Like everything else." He laughed lightly, "Having Kyuubi's strength is just part of it. You know, like before, I have two types of chakra instead that this time, I own them both."

The blonde paused, waiting for a reply that never came. "My strength is connected with the regions of the Demon Realm." He said with a sigh, "Well, at least one of the regions. My fall would be the fall of _that_ region." He turned to Sasuke, "That's why I _can't_ risk anything. Too many demons would get involved."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes, processing the sudden information presented to him. "That's not your duties…." He said slowly, "…It's Kyuubi's, isn't it?" He could recall Naruto saying something about that before he interrupted his fight.

At the mention of fox demon, Naruto grew pale. He dropped Sasuke's hand, pushing himself away from the jounin. "Yes, that's right. It's because he isn't here anymore…." He went nearer to the windows, resting head upon crossed arms resting on the pane.

"Then, that's good. The council can't blame anything to you anymore." Sasuke honestly didn't know what to say. All he knew was that the demon fox was the reason for practically _everything_ in Naruto's life. And now the blonde was free of the demon. He was supposed to be happy and yet here he was mourning over such a monster.

Naruto shook his head, burying his face deeper in his arms. "I was…three years old…when I first heard the Yondaime's heroic battle with Kyuubi."

The brunette was startled. Naruto never talked about his childhood. He never complained and he never boasted about it. And Sasuke understood why. Because going back simply hurts. So why was Naruto talking about his childhood now?

"At that time, Yondaime quickly became my hero and Kyuubi…I _hated_ him. I _really_ hated him. Especially since he took the Yondaime away. To me, he was the most evil of all evil beings. And the more the village called me a monster, the more I thought worse of Kyuubi because if I was evil…then Kyuubi would have to be worse."

Sasuke listened, wondering how he should reply to the story being told.

"Then that _asshole_ Mizuki told me that Kyuubi was sealed in me."

"He–Mizuki? You mean our sensei from the Academy days?" Sasuke blurted but shut his mouth quickly. He didn't want to risk offending the blonde in the middle of something he knew was meant for him, and him alone.

But Naruto only laughed, nodding in reply, "Yeah, him. Iruka-sensei helped me back then and he passed me after I beat up that asshole with my newly acquired Kage Bunshin!" He flashed a smile, glancing at the Uchiha before burying his head in his arms once again, "But knowing that I was the Kyuubi's container only made me hate that fox more…." He clenched his fists, eyes closed tightly at the pain of the memory.

A thirst of learning more about the Mizuki event erupted like a geyser within Sasuke but he pushed them all aside and listened like he never did before.

"But I soon learned to accept Kyuubi. His chakra helped me in so many situations – and his cage bars looked so _cold_ – and I couldn't bring myself to hate him as much anymore." He sighed, "Then the Demon Realm thing came and I started liking him. I still couldn't forget about the things he'd done but having him there…was good." A contented smile played upon the blonde's lips but it was quickly erased by a mourning frown, "And then he just had…just had…" he took a deep breath and bit his lip hard, "…he just had to give up his soul to bring me back to the Human Realm…." He whispered softly, voice laced with regret.

Sasuke watched Naruto curl himself into a tighter ball. Of course, Sasuke should've know, that getting back to the Human Realm would have a price but he never expected that demon fox to willingly pay it.

"I spent _most_ of my life _hating_ him and then he goes and gives up _his_ life for _mine_." Naruto choked on his words, "I was like everybody else…. I hated Kyuubi because everyone else did…."

"No!" Sasuke grabbed the blonde's shoulders, forcing the other to face him, "You're not like _everybody else_! You're Uzumaki Naruto! You're _better_ than everyone else!" he hissed. He was not going to let Naruto put himself in the same level as those trash who cursed him, "Don't you _dare_ compare yourself to them!"

"I can't help it…." Cerulean orbs grew glassy with tears but he blinked them back, "I mean…he _stayed_. Everybody else left and disappeared but Kyuubi…he stayed…all the time and I took him for granted!" He gulped and closed his eyes, bowing his head in regret. Not once did a tear fall down his cheek.

Sasuke remained silent. He couldn't say anything. After all, he was one of the people who left. And so he did the only thing he knew. Wrapping his arms around Naruto's shoulders, he pulled the blonde close to his chest, his lips brushing against the other's ear. He could vaguely remember his mother hugging him like this and feeling a wave of relief and security wash over him. With a bit of hesitation, he whispered, "It…it's okay…."

Naruto coiled his arms around the jounin's waist. For now, his deals with the shinigami did not matter. He just wanted to be comforted and Sasuke was the only person who could. Hoshi was always there for him but she wasn't human. She took emotions like some mechanical study, reacting accordingly to each situation. The shinigami knew what he needed but could never give it. And Sasuke had something Hoshi didn't. Sasuke was…

"Warm." Naruto whispered, "Kyuubi was only a soul…but he was always warm." He smiled, "Just like Sasuke."

Sasuke smirked, pulling the blonde nearer to his chest, "And I'm like the Kyuubi now? They'll think you're crazy soon…almost as if you're infatuated with a demon." He squeezed the blonde's shoulders. It never did occur to him that he was getting jealous over a demon that doesn't exist anymore. He might as well get jealous at ramen for entering Naruto's mouth.

"Stop being a bastard, Sasuke." The blonde returned the squeeze with one of his own, burying his face into the Sasuke's shirt. "Or I'm gonna tell everyone that Uchiha Sasuke's gone soft. Wanna trade your shinobi uniform for a psychiatrist one?" his laughs were muffled by the brunette's shirt.

"My mother… " Sasuke started, "…used to do this to me. It always made me feel better."

"I know." Naruto tugged at the other's shirt, "I'm not stupid. I know what mothers do. It's just that no one ever did…this…to me." He turned his head up, grinning mischievously at the brunette, "But fox tails are more comfortable."

"And now you're telling me that the Kyuubi could gain a physical form." Sasuke's tight hug loosened into a comfortable wrap of arms. A small resemblance of a smile fluttered on the brunette's lips, eyeing the blonde with a mock glare.

Naruto rolled his eyes, "No, I'm not. I _never_ said they were Kyuubi's tails. Do you really think that he's the _only_ fox demon in all realms?" Gloating was such fun, he realized. No wonder Sasuke loved doing it. "Vixens usually have softer tails…not that demons actually have gender." He shrugged.

Sasuke raised both of his eyebrows, gritting his teeth in an attempt to retain an indifferent face, "And how many _vixens'_ tails have you _played_ with?"

But no sarcastic answer reached his ears. Sasuke wondered vaguely if he actually choked the blonde with his hug but the hypnotized look swirling within azure eyes made him keep his mouth shut. He could feel Naruto's grip on his shirt loosening as his hands fell slowly to his sides.

"Naruto…?"

The blonde turned to window, facing the starlit sky and the bright full moon. "The moon…it's changing…." He whispered. How come he never noticed it until it was _this_ strong? He made a note never to get _that_ distracted again.

Sasuke turned to the window, staring at the white orb that hung in the midnight skies. There was nothing different about it. He could see nothing but a beautiful round moon. It was bigger than usual but nothing that could alarm a shinobi. Not unless…

"The Red Moon is coming."

The two Konoha nin turned around, facing the door. A silhouette of a man came to focus…familiar red hair, emotionless forest eyes and a tattoo on his forehead.

It was Sabaku no Gaara.

* * *

A lot of scenes had been edited in this fic. There was Hoshi's battle, which was erased because it was unnecessary. Itachi and Naruto's battle was supposed to happen within the village as well but it was too impossible and there are a lot of complications including Itachi being practically a god of fighting and Konoha being sitting ducks as Naruto and Itachi fight. Those are just two of the many edited scenes to, at least, lessen the plot holes.

And then, here comes the Red Moon – or basically, I'm inserting the whole Demon Realm thing in here. At first, it seemed too unnecessary – too many OCs to fit (extremely minor ones but OCs nonetheless) – but then, since Hoshi mentioned it, a follow-up was needed or it would look like it was just some joke or imaginary information.

It'll be a lot of trouble again. But I'd like to know what you guys think. Personally, I'd prefer to work with the series' given cast and setting alone because there's already a handful to handle. Why oh why did I ever come up with such complications?

Thanks to: **Ashrey**, **chidori86**, **RuByMoOn17**, **kori hime**, **Kyorocks34**, **keele-cray**, **lonegear**, **tishu**, **DarkvsLight**, **dragonmaster1703**, **anfitriteaquarius**, **mademoisele**, **DaisyAnimeluvr**, **Uzumaki Ryooki**


	18. XVII : My Power over All

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim Naruto and I think Masashi Kishimoto-sensei would proudly claim it.

* * *

**XVII. My Power Over All**

Uchiha Sasuke stared at the mocking shadows that covered half of Naruto's door. A thin frown was placed on his lips. Arms crossed, fingers tapping with impatience and his weight being shifted constantly from one foot to another, Uchiha Sasuke was definitely not a happy man.

And all that was because of a certain redhead currently residing behind _those_ doors…locked inside with a certain blue-eyed blonde. The logical part of Sasuke's mind kept saying that this was Kazekage business and that the two would not do something Sasuke and Naruto wouldn't. And even though Naruto and him had done something…rather intimate a while ago…the Kazekage would _not_ just enter a shinobi's house for a little hug…would he?

He silently wished that his sharingan could see through walls or that he had some kind of jutsu that could let him spy on the two.

There wasn't much Naruto and Gaara could hide from him. The two jinchuuriki would _obviously_ not discuss matters about Konoha and Suna since, as much as Naruto would like to be, the blonde was _not_ the Hokage. He could not start a movement in the village…unless it was some kind of coup.

If it was about the Demon Realm and the Underworld, Sasuke couldn't see anything that would _need_ to be hidden from him. He knew about the Red Moon, the shinigami overlord told him herself. Yes, he remembered, Naruto mentioned it a while ago but he couldn't see any sign of it…or is it something invisible to the human eye?

And what of the Red Moon? It was the bridge that links the Demon Realm to the Human World. If the bridge has indeed opened, then the demons would be able to enter this world as the humans would theirs…but demons are generally stronger than most humans. And humans fear anything they cannot understand.

And hadn't that shinigami said something before about humans being able to see that Red Moon? Humans would only see it once it's strong enough to let most demons and humans through. As of the moment, it cannot be seen by human eyes…but how many demons could the bridge let through? How strong? How dangerous?

Uchiha Sasuke sighed. Where was the shinigami anyway? The girl had vanished, like she always did, when Sasuke had entered Naruto's room. If it was her respect for privacy or Naruto's own request that had her leave them alone, he didn't really care. But he _could_ use some answers and that shinigami probably has _all_ of them.

A soft click penetrated the Uchiha's musings. He jerked his head up, charcoal drilling into emerald.

"Kazekage-sama." Sasuke greeted through clenched teeth.

Gaara remained impassive, "Uchiha." He walked closer to the Uchiha, his shadow casting over the equally indifferent jounin, "Don't give more trouble to Naruto. You've already given enough." He turned away from the brunette and walked away as abruptly as he had arrived.

"Bye, Gaara." A soft and almost tired voice came from Naruto's door.

Sasuke spun his head around. He almost jumped when he saw the blonde smiling in front of him, face only inches apart.

"Didn't pass the jounin exams." Naruto sighed, "Nobody did. Most of the examiners agreed that they didn't see enough of our skills." He shrugged, moving beside Sasuke, "I guess I'll just have to try next time. Suna's the host for the next exams, right?"

Sasuke nodded dumbly. Had that been what Gaara and Naruto been talking about? Surely not, especially when Naruto's acting so…tired? Just like he did a while ago….

"Naruto—"

"Stay over?" Naruto tilted his head to the right, "You can use the other room if you like."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow in question. The offer was…quite sudden…though he himself had thought of doing the same thing to just watch over the blonde for the time being, until that unusual wave of exhaustion disappeared from the air that surrounded him. He just never expected Naruto to _offer_. And it just made him believe that there was _something_ off about the other.

"And that shinigami of yours…?" The Uchiha asked carefully.

"Oh, Hoshi? She left." Naruto said with careless shrug, "You saw her disappear a while ago, right? The jounin exams are finished. Akatsuki won't be attacking any time soon. And she's the shinigami overlord. She has more important duties than staying her and watching. You know. Her stuff."

Yes, Sasuke remembered that. He had overheard about the shinigami's time of departure but he never thought it'd be this abrupt. The girl had disappeared as though she had never appeared in the first place. "And her room…you're lending it."

The blonde blinked and raised a questioning brow. A second later he was laughing so loud that the crickets seemed to silence in fear. He fell back to the wall across Sasuke and clutched his stomach. "You…you thought that…that…that room was hers?" he said between laughs.

Sasuke twitched. Nobody laughs at an Uchiha, even if that nobody's name is Uzumaki Naruto. His crossed arms tightened, holding back that bile of childish spats that threatened to jump out of his throat.

A happy sigh escaped Naruto's lips. He relaxed onto the wall, sliding down till his bottom hit the floor. "Sasuke, Sasuke." He shook his head in amusement.

At that moment, Sasuke decided that he didn't like it when Naruto said his name in that tone, a tone that hides so much from him.

"Hoshi is a shinigami. Shinigami do not sleep. Giving her a bedroom would be useless." Naruto shrugged, grinning playfully.

Sasuke frowned. He should've known that shinigami like her would never need to sleep. If so, then…"Why get an extra room?" An extra room would cost more and money was not something Naruto could easily get, he knew. It would benefit the guests but those people who are willing to sleep over the blonde's house would never do so since they knew it would create more inconvenience for the blonde.

"I just…thought that…for some people…some places make them…feel bad." Naruto bit his lip, lowering his head till it touched his knees, "And I thought that…well…it'd be better if they left those places…even if it was their home…." He turned his head slightly, his eyes peeking beneath golden bangs.

That…sounded familiar, Sasuke thought. There were only a handful of people who have bad memories of their homes and still keep on staying in that place. And among those people, there was only one person that Naruto knew personally. And that was…

"Sasuke, that room was for you."

- - -

Being the Hokage was horrifying. It delivered constant pain to the brain that the body entered a slow withering noticeable only to the victim himself. Hokage was a status that was hoarded by political issues that were, most of the times, silly and incoherent. Add that to the fact that the Hokage has to protect his village at all costs, even if that means giving up your life…or the life of another. The Hokage was not expendable. His death was the last option for the village no matter how many lives they had given up in a battle.

Tsunade knew all of these. Her grandfather was the Shodaime and during the few times that she had spent time with her grandfather, a caress of the effects of being a Hokage had slammed unto her like Gamabunta landing on the ground. And at that time, there were two Hokage ruling the village. How much more stress would it be now that there's only one on the throne? The Fourth was lucky to have Sarutobi there to help.

Being the Hokage was not a choice. It was an honor. And that was one "honor" that Tsunade would rather refuse.

"Tsunade-sama?" Shizune entered the office, watching as Tsunade massage her temple with two fingers, "Naruto-kun is here." She stepped aside, letting Naruto into the office. She smiled at the blonde then left, closing the door as she went.

Naruto took a deep breath. With silent steps, he made his way to the desk and sat upon the chair placed in front of the table. His back fell loudly onto the backrest, making the seat sway slightly backwards. He dropped his elbows to the armrests and slid down till his arms were the only things keeping him on the chair. He closed his eyes and sighed.

"What's wrong with you?" Tsunade dropped the pen in her hands and leaned forward, "You seem…tired. Anything happen with the Uchiha?"

A low growl escaped Naruto's throat. He wasn't in the mood for Uchiha jokes…especially if it held no truth. "No, the only thing that happened with Sasuke last night was him staying at my apartment." He shrugged. He picked himself up from his slouch with a long groan. With serious eyes, he turned to the Hokage, leaning forward. "The Red Moon is rising."

Tsunade froze. Naruto had explained it vaguely the moment he returned and it was the shinigami who cleared it all up. She knew of its unpredictability and the levels of its strength. The last time the Red Moon rose, Kyuubi had attacked and at that moment, it was so brief and weak that only a few demons could get through. And now, it was here. "And what did Hoshi say?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, Hoshi left already. I wanted her to say goodbye at least but when we felt the Red Moon, I just let her leave. She'll be taking care of the bridge since it passes through the Underworld." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "So yeah, I can't present her to the council anymore."

"Ignore the council first." Tsunade flapped a hand in front of her. The possibilities of a war between demons and humans were more important than the whims of a few old men. "What of the Red Moon? How strong is it? How many people can see it?"

Naruto shook his head, "Not strong enough. Only demon eyes can see it. Animals might sense it and maybe humans who are sensitive to nature pressure change." He shifted his feet uncomfortably, "Sasuke couldn't see it last night but Gaara noticed it quickly."

The Hokage nodded slowly, "Then the Jinchuuriki would notice it." She drew circles on her forehead, willing her headache to go away. Softly, she asked herself, "How are we going to deal with this now?"

"Well, I think I could pinpoint where the bridge will open. Then we can work our way there. My ties with the Demon Realm will be enough to hold any demon away from Konoha." Naruto sighed in relief. Though his ties to the Underworld weren't exactly pleasant – demons have a different meaning of being "pleasant" – he was thankful for them, especially in these kinds of situations. "We should worry about how other villages will fare."

Tsunade nodded, "I'll send a warning to every village we know." She grabbed a pen and started taking note of the villages she needed to warn. She sighed and pressed the pen on her lips, thinking of more villages – shinobi or not – to add to her already length list. "What did the Kazekage say?"

"Gaara knows all that damn demon _protocol_. He'd be able to handle them as long as he isn't faced with the god levels. I gave him an alliance seal with me. He'd be accepted as a holder since he's a jinchuuriki. Hopefully." Naruto shrugged. He ran a nervous hand through his golden locks, chewing on his bottom lip. "…And a bit about Akatsuki."

The Hokage turned up and raised an eyebrow in question. "And? What about them?"

The blonde shook his head. "They won't be attacking soon." The Hokage sighed in relief, "Even if they did, I have the Demon Realm at my back. And with what Hoshi says, it seems that they know something about the Red Moon."

"They'll be wary." Tsunade nodded. "Then all we need to worry about is that gate to the Demon Realm."

And that issue itself was more than two persons can handle – even if it was the Kage of one of the strongest villages and the shinigami overlord's liege.

"The best we can do is to send a team to watch the gates open." Naruto finally said after a moment's silence.

The Hokage dropped the pen and sighed. "Yes, a team would be good. I'll have you lead the mission and choose your members." She agreed, "But if we're to send a team, _especially_ with you in it, we'd have to face the council. You have your explanations ready? They better be good, gaki." She glared at the blonde who pouted in annoyance.

"I can explain Hoshi and the Red Moon but I doubt they'd trust me at all." Naruto shook his head, "But I'll do well. I've learned a lot of things in the Demon Realm and the Underworld, and one of them is that respect and fear are the basis for ruling." A feral grin reached his lips, "If I can't get the council's respect, then I can very well get them to fear me."

Tsunade snorted but nodded nonetheless. She knew that using fear against the council would only get Naruto in deeper trouble than before but it was the only way and she herself had wanted to scare away those old men. She just didn't have enough power to make the council wet their pants. Naruto, on the other hand, had enough of the Underworld and the Demon Realm at his side to make those old men die from heart attacks.

"We can't risk a war between the Demon Realm and the Human World." The Hokage sighed, tapping her foot nervously. Considering how the two worlds seem to have a natural hate for each other, it seemed impossible to stop any conflict from happening. But what she was worried about most was the person sitting in front of her. "If that happens…"

Naruto smiled, pressing his lips on his fingers, "Yeah, I'll be fighting against the Human World with the Demon Realm at my side."

- - -

The aftermaths of the Akatsuki attack were not as heavy as most of them expected. There had been little to no causalities with the civilians since the genin teams had done a good job. Most of the injured were shinobi that were caught unaware of the sudden attack of Akatsuki – from the inside and out. They had rounded up the nuke nin though some still escaped. The ones that were captured were either slaughtered in the process or being held for interrogations…then killed afterwards. It was compensation -- for the villages and the shinobi's pride.

"So…now that we've survived Akatsuki's attack…what'll happen next?"

Kiba leaned on the cream-colored walls that were similar in all jounin buildings. With a sigh, he slid down to the ground, grumbling like a dog. He crossed his legs and placed an elbow near his knee, resting his chin on his palm. Across him, Shikamaru had his arms crossed and his back resting upon the wall. His closed eyes and tight frown made him look like the annoyed shinobi he was.

"Not sure." Shikamaru replied, barely moving his lips, "The only thing I'm sure of is that Akatsuki won't be attacking any time soon. They won't have us unaware any time soon. It'd only work to their disadvantage." He shifted his weight from one leg to another. "Ask Naruto, not me."

Kiba scowled, snorting at the suggestion. Getting answers from Naruto was like asking Uchiha Sasuke out on a date. It was better before when he chose to focus his secrecy on his pranks alone…not that anyone bothered to ask the blonde anything that _doesn't_ relate to his mischief since he wasn't really a reliable source of information but now that he was the _only_ source of information, he's not reliable enough to answer. There was also that little shinigami but who in their right mind would bother asking her?

"Feh. I'm sure you have at least _one_ idea." Kiba ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head like a dog.

Shikamaru remained silent, hoping that some god out there would grant him at least a bit of peace while he was on pending duty. But Kiba remained expectant, even going as far as kicking him on the shins to get his answer. With a sigh, the jounin opened his eyes, glaring as much as he could…which wasn't much at all.

"With all the help that shinigami gave us, the council would most probably investigate the little girl. They should be interrogating either Naruto or that kid by now. You know how fast they act about Naruto-related things." Shikamaru watched as the canine nin hummed an agreement, hoping he won't be bothered anymore.

"About time, actually." Kiba stretched his legs and arms and then tucked his limbs loosely near his torso, "That shinigami kid did a bit too well hiding from the council and all their crap. Wonder how Naruto's going to handle that." He shrugged, "Well, at least things will slow down from this point. Akamaru started acting a bit strange though…."

The lazy genius looked up. He knew well of the heightened senses of animals and, from experience, he knew that Akamaru was one of the best out there to use them, all of which he could easily relay to Kiba. If Kiba couldn't understand what was happening with his familiar, then it could mean bad news.

"He gets…a bit fidgety and whines a lot about the moon since last night." Kiba shrugged, "He even tried to drag me out of the compound, begging me to hide. I don't know if it's danger or just some dog thing since he can't seem to tell me what it is. The other clan dogs were acting the same way…."

It was a warning, Shikamaru instantly deducted. But from what, he still couldn't pinpoint. His instinct kept pointing at the shinigami girl though he was not the type to blame somebody without solid proof. He just hoped it wouldn't be something that would shake the world.

The loud sliding of wood on cement alerted the two jounin. They watched as a couple of Konoha nin entered the room. Kiba groaned, lifting his bottom from the ground and followed Shikamaru out of the room. Chitchat was over. They had duties to mind.

- - -

Naruto walked through the village with his hands tucked into his pockets and his body in a lazy slouch. For the nth time that day, a sigh escaped his lips and he vigorously shook a hand through his hair, making some of the nearby civilians and shinobi move out of his way. He blew his golden bangs, eyes focused on his feet and the road he was walking on, oblivious to the weird stares the villagers were giving him.

His problem was so far beyond the capacity of his ramen-fed mind that he couldn't _think_ about ramen anymore.

Scaring the council away from his back was far easier than he thought it would be. They already feared him as Kyuubi's holder so sliding in a few threats about the Underworld and the Demon Realm had sealed away their deals (and using a field genjutsu to empower it worked miracles). He had denied being the demon's host since the demon was gone but they refused to believe his words. He was, at that moment, thankful that the Fourth made his seal and hence, dragging most information with him on his deathbed.

So, he had explained Hoshi to them and then the Red Moon. He doubted that they purely believed him but they were willing to allow his – and the Hokage's – request to investigate the human end of the bridge with a team…which he was to lead.

And that was his problem. He had to choose a team. He had already decided upon Shikamaru (for his brain) and Sakura (for medical support). Both of them knew of Kyuubi already so choosing them made the whole situation a lot easier. He had already asked them earlier in the day though he was still about to explain the details of their mission.

Then there was the Sasuke issue.

It wasn't a matter of leading a four-man team or sticking with the usual group of three. With the demons they would be facing, the more the better.

As a shinobi and a friend, Naruto knew more than Sasuke himself the Uchiha's strengths and weaknesses. Having him in the mission would help greatly since his skills matched his wits. He already has enough knowledge about the Red Moon, the Underworld and the Demon Realm that he could explain the mission details to Shikamaru and Sakura.

Naruto wasn't good with forming words from thoughts – that he wasn't going to deny. Most of his words were copied from Hoshi's mouth and during his time in the demon realm, the shinigami was his little thought-word converter since she could read minds. Well, shadows, not really minds but close enough.

With Sasuke around, his jumbled thoughts could be straightened.

A light knock on his head interrupted his thoughts. Naruto looked up, blinking in surprise. "I must really be lost in thought not to notice that I'm back in my apartment." He whispered and entered the peach-colored building, "I just hope Sasuke isn't there anymore." But with his little room confession last night, he doubted that the Uchiha would leave that easy.

He entered the building with subconscious awareness and walked up the stairs located at the far end of the first floor. The dusty cement steps of the building were hidden under the shadows of the concrete walls that on its sides, making the set of steps look steeper, darker, more dangerous and definitely old enough for one step to crush the rough and uneven surface of the stone.

But all this was ignored by Naruto's mind. He went up the stairs as any person would, following the barely lit corners of the stairs that looked as if it stank with animal urine and damp moss though none of it was present. A few flights of steps afterwards and he found himself in front of his door which was washed with a wood varnish to make it seem like the deep cherry brown the owners wanted to show off.

Naruto wrapped his rough and slightly calloused hand around the bronze knob of the apartment door, feeling the barely visible rust marks under his fingers. He carefully opened the door in an attempt to be stealthy but his efforts were wasted as the old hinges creaked with a long sigh. He should've expected that.

Azure orbs peaked into the rented unit that looked darker than expected under the afternoon sun. Then he spotted the silhouette of the very person he was pondering about. Lady Luck seems to have turned her head away from him today.

"About time you returned."

Sasuke stood a few feet from the open doors of the apartment. His feet were spread evenly and arms crossed tightly over his chest. Upon his face was a frown so chilling he looked like a statue in some famous museum during the night. Had it been the usual Uchiha frown, Naruto would've jumped in front of the brunette and crack a joke or do something crazy like glomp the guy and the likes.

Naruto locked his head in its place, not wanting to give in to the urge to look back and measure his chances. He could simply run away from Sasuke and do that shadow disappearing act Hoshi does in order to escape the Uchiha's range. But all he had been doing since he returned to Konoha was running away – from his friends, from the village, from the Demon Realm, from himself and his urge to simply spill all his secrets without minding the consequences that he could never seem to like.

He took a step into his apartment, softly closing the door behind him. He pressed his back on the fake wooden surface, chewing his bottom lip nervously. His mind struggled to form words from his muddled thoughts and after a few minutes of staring, he finally said, "Uhm…hi, Sasuke. I see you're still here. You like the room?"

"It's practically empty, save a closet and a bed." Sasuke answered with a raised eyebrow, "But that isn't what I wanted to hear from you." He walked forward, his sandals creating a soft thud on the floors. He stopped a couple of steps before the blonde and said, "I know about the mission. Sakura told me."

Naruto remained silent. He could hear the unsaid questions in those words, that "Aren't you going to ask me to come with you?" and the "Why didn't you ask me first?" and Naruto knew well enough the answers to those questions. It was saying them that was hard.

"Well?" The Uchiha inquired impatiently.

Blue eyes hid behind tanned eyelids and golden eyelashes. Naruto bowed his head, resting his mouth over his palm. He debated whether to simply answer the brunette bluntly or to beat around the bush for a while in hopes of getting the Uchiha to forget his focus about the mission. The first choice was winning – he, like Sasuke, didn't do well in long conversations.

Naruto sighed and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. He pushed the other lightly, moving away from the door and behind the other man. "I don't really know, Sasuke." He ran a hand through his hair, "You're a great shinobi and you'll be useful in the mission but…"

Sasuke spun around, staring at the blonde's back.

"…you're not really in good terms with the Demon Realm."

"…? The Demon Realm?" Sasuke repeated, wondering just how in the world he offended a realm that he never knew existed until Naruto came back. Surely, Naruto wouldn't spread rumors about him. Maybe it was the shinigami? But that was highly improbably as well.

Naruto nodded. He stepped towards a nearby chair and sat down, turning to face the Uchiha. "The Demon Realm and the Underworld are…kinda attached. Damn, how am I supposed to say this?" he murmured, tapping his foot impatiently, "It's like this. The demons are like…_mercenaries_…while shinigami give out the jobs. They're all trying to gain the shinigami's favor."

Okay. So he had offended the Underworld? Sasuke searched his memory for anything connected to death and souls. He has killed before but it doesn't seem like shinigami have anything against that. Maybe his treatment with Naruto when they were younger…? But that was illogical. If that was the case, then he couldn't see what was stopping the shinigami overlord from killing him.

"I've done nothing against the Demon Realm and the Underworld." He said in defense.

Naruto shook his head. "Not that. It's what you are capable of doing." It was getting harder and harder to explain the whole thing. It would've been better if he never mentioned it in the first place.

Sasuke cocked his head in question. He was capable of doing many things but he found nothing that would offend the other worlds.

A sigh that sounded more like a growl vibrated through the blonde's throat. He slouched. "Hoshi told me that the biggest – and probably the only – sin anybody could commit against the Underworld is playing with souls. Eating souls was what makes demons sinners. For humans, it was escaping death. The only person who has done so is currently the most sought out sinner."

Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. "Orochimaru." He whispered. An unsettled feeling roamed in his stomach as he said the name he had never mentioned for years. He subconsciously brought his hand over the faded seal the snake had given him. He had almost forgotten about it since it never bothered him anymore. "It's…the seal…."

Naruto looked at the Uchiha who had turned paler than he already was. He bit his lip, "There are only a couple of you that have that seal…you and Anko…but you're the only one who has an active one…."

Sasuke stepped back, his shoulders hitting the door with a thud. All those times he thought he had escaped that snake Sannin's clutches but here was that creep again, creating more problems in his already complicated life. He wondered vaguely if Orochimaru chooses to torture him only when Naruto's present. He was never bothered during those years of the blonde's absence.

"…I'm his escape from death…."

* * *

I think it should be obvious now. Naruto loves Sasuke more than Sasuke does. Well, at least for the time being. Sasuke's still trying to get a grasp of his feelings and all that while Naruto's resolved already. And I'm teasing you guys again by saying that that love developed during the whole disappearance thing.

Thanks to: **Uzumaki Ryooki**, **Ky0Kichi**, **anim3lov3rXD**, **Ashrey**, **mademoisele**, **blue-genjutsu**, **twilights-aura**, **chidori86**, **ebonyS2**, **RuByMoOn17**, **Anfitrite-aquarius**, **Kyorocks34**, **Scoodoo58**


	19. XVIII : A Storm is Coming

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim Naruto and I think Masashi Kishimoto-sensei would proudly claim it.

* * *

**XVIII. A Storm is Coming**

Uchiha Sasuke watched the horizon lined with trees that stood darkly against the infinite blue skies that were scattered with wispy and fluffy clouds. His feet were placed evenly upon the rough stone of Konoha's walls and his hands, shoved casually into his dark pants. Sharp eyes and a solid serious frown showed his focus upon the trail that was filled with shinobi and civilians, coming and going into the village. A long yawn crept up his throat but he suppressed it behind his lips, blinking away his signs of boredom.

He was a jounin, a well-respected and highly qualified shinobi, deemed as one of Konoha's best with a bloodline that could only be surpassed by one of his own. A few of the chuunin serving their guard duties looked at him quizzically, wondering what a shinobi like him would be doing upon the main entrance of the village.

Jounin do not receive guard duty. They receive assassination requests.

But Uchiha Sasuke was not standing upon Konoha's walls to watch the people go in and out of Konoha. He was in deep thought, contemplating the conversation he had with Naruto the night before. His façade was automatic, training slipping into his shoes instead of awareness.

It was one of the most shocking moments of his life. There were only a few of them, so few that he could count them with his fingers.

He had become a sinner of the Underworld simply by being Orochimaru's means of escaping death. He could deny the accusation by saying that the cursed seal was not something he willingly took but against the other variables of the situation, it was a weak argument.

He had gone to Orochimaru on his own free will. Ignorance was no excuse nor was mental instability (though that was something he would never admit). It was like a thief pleading innocence simply because he did not know stealing was illegal.

He had ambitions – to kill his brother and avenge his clan – and he was willing to reach them by all means necessary in the least amount of time. It had gotten him to do many stupid and regrettable things. He had tried to kill Naruto. Tried, but never succeed. Killing Naruto…was something he wasn't capable of, he knew.

He had stayed with Orochimaru by choice. Suffice to say, he had returned to Konoha by choice but…not quite for the right reasons. He did not return to atone for his sins against Konoha. He simply returned because of…Naruto, much like most of his reasons though.

Like why a jounin like him is standing upon Konoha's walls and why Uchiha Sasuke had remained in the village while Naruto and his team left to deal with the Red Moon.

It was earlier that day, just before the sun had risen when Sakura and Shikamaru had met Naruto behind the closed wooden gates of Konoha, Sasuke following a couple of steps behind. Sakura had greeted them a good morning as cheery as she could at five in the morning.

Naruto had told them what they were going to do but it was Sasuke who had explained the details. Sakura had spared no energy in stopping herself from being shocked while Shikamaru showed little to no signs about his surprise – either he knew already or he was just too lazy to show his reaction. Naruto had voted on the latter.

Then, as the gates opened, the rising sun's rays filtering through the crack between the doors, Sasuke bid Naruto good luck, his feet never moving past the rough line that separated the outside from the village. It was Sakura's second shock for the day.

Naruto smiled at him, grinning like the idiot he was known as a child. He stepped closer to Sasuke and put a hand on the crook of the other's neck. Sasuke stiffened as Naruto pulled him closer, his lips brushing against his ear.

"Watch out. They'll come to Konoha first." The blonde pulled away, punching Sasuke's shoulder lightly, "See ya!"

Behind the two, Shikamaru sighed. Sakura, who was standing just in front of the lazy jounin, clamped a hand over her mouth, giggling like a teenage fangirl. "Well, you're kinda close today." She teased.

Sasuke snorted, looking away from Sakura with the tiniest hint of a blush that Naruto was the only person who could notice but the blonde had turned to flash a bright foxy grin at the medic nin.

"What? We're always close! How do you think he knows the whole Red Moon thing? We spend our nights together!" said Naruto, puffing out his chest in pride.

Sakura looked at him, a hand placed over her hanging mouth. "Did you just say what I thought you said?"

Naruto blinked, narrowing his eyes towards Sakura and Shikamaru who just couldn't help but sigh at the situation. "What? I just told you we spend our…nights…to…gether…." His eyes grew large in realization. He placed two fingers over his lips, paling instead of blushing. "Oh." He said, "I di-didn't mean it _that_ way!"

A burst of laughter later and Sakura was crouched down, clutching her stomach in uncontrolled laughs.

"Hey! I'm you're mission captain! Don't laugh!" Naruto stomped his foot on the ground, sending as much eye-daggers as he could towards the medic nin, but Sakura was too busy stopping herself from falling on her bottom to answer the blonde. "Sakura!"

Sasuke shook his head. At this rate, the sun would be high in the skies before they set out to their mission. "You should get going. You'll need all your time and energy to find the Red Moon's end."

And then, after a comment of "mendokusei" from Shikamaru, the team set off into the forest, ignoring the dirt road that started to the gates. They vanished almost instantly as soon as they touched the trees.

Sasuke had no reason to stay in front of Konoha's gates but still, he couldn't bring himself to leave. There was that nagging feeling at the pits of his stomach that made him expect something. He knew Naruto wouldn't turn back and give him a goodbye kiss nor would a hoard of demons sprout from the horizon and gobble up Konoha in one snap.

When the people started passing through the gates, Sasuke moved himself on the walls and mingled with chuunin guards who were older than him yet fear his stern gaze. And then, after a few hours of waiting, the tug on his stomach ceased.

Along the end of the horizon, his trained eyes spotted the mass of gray clouds slowly replacing the wispy and fluffy white clouds. He could feel the soft morning breeze drop a degree lower, cooling his neck and his ears. He turned to the village proper in one quick motion, startling the shinobi nearby. Then, he jumped down.

A storm was coming.

- - -

"You patched things up with Sasuke?" Sakura asked, keeping her pace steady with Naruto's and Shikamaru's.

Naruto was leading the team though Shikamaru would've been the best choice but the blonde was the only one who knew where they were going. Naruto secured the front defense, to throw away head-on attacks and lead the group out of safety. Sakura came in second, traveling between Naruto and Shikamaru. As a medic nin, her safety was a priority since her fall would be the fall of the team. She served as support for both Naruto and Shikamaru. Shikamaru came last. He did not have eyesight like a Hyuuga and his techniques focused mainly on stopping opponents he could see. Their rear was practically begging to be attacked. They just hoped no one would take the bait.

"Patch up what?" Naruto replied, "We didn't have an argument."

Sakura frowned. "I know about the kiss, Naruto." She ducked and avoided a small protruding branch, "And I know how you reacted about it. Don't tell me that _that_ wasn't an argument." She gathered chakra to her feet and powered her next jump so that he could almost reach Naruto.

"It's not." The blonde glanced over his shoulder for a split second and then turned back to his path.

The medic nin pouted. The answer was short but the message was clear. Naruto wasn't going to entertain her little chitchat. "Can't you at least tell me why you locked yourself in your room afterwards?" She waited and waited but the only thing that answered her were rustle of the trees and the whoosh of the wind. She sighed. There would be a next time. "Fine. Where are we headed?"

Naruto looked at Sakura, grinning like the fox he was, "Oh, some place special." He chuckled, "I thought it would be good to start at the place where the first rift occurred. The moon should be strongest there. If not, get ready for a _long_ search through the Fire Country. Then we'll go to Wind Country." He proclaimed proudly.

"Mendokusei…." Shikamaru commented from behind, "Let's hope it in the place you say then. I don't want to go in a tiresome search from country to country."

Sakura rolled her eyes despite agreeing with the lazy genius. She certainly couldn't bear to travel so long though she was curious as to how Naruto would act while suffering the Sasuke Withdrawal Syndrome. She had seen Sasuke undergo the Naruto Withdrawal Syndrome and it wasn't a pretty sight but she was a medic nin and it was her duty to learn such things.

"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure it'll be there." Naruto assured, "After all, I fell down into the Demon Realm from there."

Sakura slipped slightly on her next landing but, with a shake of her head, she regained her posture and pace. "_What_?" she said in a loud incredulous voice. They heard a loud rustle in the nearby trees and a bird flew away. Sakura quickly regretted shouting. "Are you okay with that, Naruto?" she said, hushed.

"Why not? It's a beautiful place." Naruto reasoned, barely glancing at the medic nin. "It's not like there's a trap there that would _swallow_ us or something. And it's a very memorable place. Lots of things happened there."

"But isn't that where Sasuke—"

"Sasuke decided to return to Konoha there."

Sakura frowned, her eyes furrowed in worry. She opened her mouth to say something more but Shikamaru stopped her and grabbed her shoulder to make her look at him.

"Don't bother with those things. It's between Sasuke and Naruto." Shikamaru shook his head, "If they don't have a problem with it then you shouldn't. It's too troublesome." he nodded towards Naruto who somehow managed to hide his face from them despite what angle they try to look from.

The soft whirring of the distant rush of water grew into big volumes. Shaded foliage of green and brown suddenly dissolved into the vast blue skies. They landed on the damp banks of the river, eyes focused at the start of the waterfall and the stone heads of the statues.

It was the Valley of the End.

Sakura approached the rushing river and crouched down. She put her hand into the water, creating splashing waves. She looked around her, above and below, left and right, and saw Shikamaru do the same. They were here to look for something they couldn't see and that was good thing. As long as the Red Moon wasn't visible to her human eyes, they were safe.

The Valley of the End was a solemn place. The loud crash of water on rocks and the water below ate up the sound of the birds, the rustle of the animals and the splashes of the fish. It had stayed the same just as it had all those years ago, at Sasuke's departure and return.

"Naruto…? Is it here?" Sakura stood up and wiped away the excess water on her palm with her other hand. She looked at the blonde and frowned in worry. Naruto was looking silently at the statues' heads with a small smile that wasn't quite a smile and Sakura suddenly felt the urge to take him back to Konoha.

Shikamaru kicked a stone to the river and approached the blonde with his hands tucked into his pockets. "Hey, Naruto." He called, "What are we supposed to do here?"

Naruto grinned and turned to face the two of them. "You're here to watch, Shikamaru." He replied, "Just stay at the side of the river and watch. Keep still, okay? Don't react too much. We need to show them that you're allies." He stepped onto the river, coating his feet with chakra.

"Naruto! Where are you going?" Sakura called but remained on the riverbank, watching as the blonde walked to the middle of the river where the current was strongest.

Naruto gave the medic nin a reassuring smile. He turned to the start of the waterfall and walked forward. He stopped a few feet from the end, stumbling slightly as the water lapped at his legs. Then cerulean eyes gazed up. For a moment, Sakura and Shikamaru saw the space Naruto was looking at ripple and stretch.

Then a cold white wind passed by them, through the trees and beyond.

Sakura looked at the arm she raised to block her face from the wind. And what she saw shocked her.

It was snow.

- - -

The white clouds that crawled lazily across the blue skies of Konoha were now turned into deep gray that hastily chased each other over the dull blue skies. The villagers looked up and knew, despite lacking shinobi skills and senses, that a storm was coming. The cold wind that passed through the nearly empty streets and alleys told of impending danger.

Inside the Hokage's office, Tsunade was sitting on her chair, drinking a cup of hot tea. She blew away the steam that rose from her cup and took a sip. She sighed. She had just talked with the council about Naruto and the position of Hokage.

Tsunade was getting old though that was something she would never admit to others. She doubted that she could keep on ruling over a village when she could barely keep her anger at bay. She was not getting weak but she was _definitely_ not getting stronger.

She knew well of Naruto's position in the Demon Realm and his obligations to the Underworld. To her, it was a miracle that blonde brat could manage to handle those duties and still include Konoha in his everyday musings. Because of that, she knew that Naruto deserved to be Hokage at this moment – for Tsunade, for Naruto and most importantly, for the village.

So she decided to discuss the matter with the council.

The council itself was getting old. They were older than Tsunade herself and it was about time they get replaced. But getting replaced wasn't something they could risk especially when the demon-holder's still around. After all, they were the only people who could deny the fox's wishes.

But not anymore. Naruto had brought them down. Naruto himself had told them that he has all the ability to let the Underworld and the Demon Realm erase Konoha from the Human World and yet he doesn't. That was the reason the council feared him: what he _could_ do, not what he does.

Then Tsunade came and convinced them otherwise.

And so they decided, Naruto was going to be the Rokudaime. It was about time they ended their one-sided feud with a shinobi who remained loyal to them. All that Naruto needs is to gain the favor of the village.

"Come back soon, Naruto." Tsunade whispered, her breath causing the steam of her drink to wave. "Damn. Why's it suddenly so cold?" she slammed her cup onto the table, causing a few drops to fall upon some documents she was reading. "Argh." She wiped the documents with her hand.

Then a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Come in." she said.

It wasn't a surprise to her when Uchiha Sasuke came into her office wearing his stoic workface. "So what brings you here, Uchiha? Another complaint about Naruto? Or about Naruto's safety?" she chuckled, "But basically, it's about Naruto."

Sasuke frowned but made no move to deny the accusation. He stayed in front of the closed doors, not bothering to approach the Hokage. "It's snowing."

Tsunade nearly tripped. "Excuse me? What do you mean it's snowing? It's not supposed to snow." Snow was rare in Konoha but it wasn't impossible. Still, for it to snow at the start of summer, it was highly improbable. "It was warm and clear a while ago. It's not supposed to be like this not unless…."

"The demons are here."

- - -

"One of my kits had strayed."

It shocked Sakura to hear a low bubbling murmur from the humongous white demon that materialized after the cold wind. What surprised her more was that the demon was acting civil in front of Naruto – she and Shikamaru both though only Sakura had a visible reaction.

The demon was 20 times taller than Naruto. It hovered over him, bowing slightly to meet the blue gaze. Its smooth snake-like skin was pure white with a shine of silver. It was like a gigantic serpent with rabbit-like hind legs and long wing-like fins for arms. Upon its head was a pair of white branching antlers and a silver gray mane that flowed to its back. Silvery blue snake-like eyes watched Sakura and Shikamaru, blinking with its two eyelids.

But, while Sakura was busy being hypnotized by the demon, Shikamaru saw the mist that enveloped them, stretching and shaking. He knew there were more of these demons hiding within the mist and yet they remain tame in front of Naruto. That is, assuming that demons are wild.

And then he saw Naruto. The blonde had mask in his hands that Shikamaru didn't remembering seeing him bring. A moment ago, when the blonde had stepped onto the river, he had nothing in his hands and then the wind passed by and the next thing Shikamaru saw was an ANBU-like mask in Naruto's hands.

The mask was the distinct image of a fox, one half painted in black and the other in white. Red markings created a sharp design on the mask, following the edges of the eyeholes and marking the whiskers, ears and snout of the fox. Carved upon the forehead, right in the middle is the kanji for "fire".

As quickly as the demons came, they vanished in another hurricane of snow.

Naruto ran back to Sakura and Shikamaru, the mask disappearing at a flick of his wrist. A frown graced his face. "Let's go back." He said impatiently, stomping past the two.

"Huh? _Why_?" Sakura spun around, "Aren't we here to secure the Red Moon? To make sure that no war shall start between humans and demons? Now that we found it, we're just running away!" she screamed in frustration. She just couldn't understand the blonde.

"You've heard what that snow demon said." Naruto said, "If his kit is killed, I _assure_ you. There _will_ be a war. Demons are overly protective of their kits. If it was an adult demon, they wouldn't have cared!"

Sakura bit her lip. She couldn't see the point of going back to Konoha. "But—"

"Sakura," Shikamaru called, "What town is nearest here?"

The medic nin frowned. "There's a lot of towns near hear. Konoha's not the nearest though so I don't see the point of going straight back when we could use our position as an advantage. A demon kit couldn't have gone _that_ far."

"But among all those towns and villages which would fight back against a demon? Which could pose as much danger to the kit as the demon is a danger to them?"

Sakura stayed silent. She hated arguing with Shikamaru. The genius always fought a winning battle and she always felt silly for ever thinking she was right. "…Konoha." She finally said in defeat.

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "Women…."

"Let's go already!" Naruto pulled his hair, screaming his frustrations to the skies. The birds from the nearby trees flew away in fear. "That kit has enough power to cover Konoha in _meters_ of snow within a few hours! We have to go back _fast_!" he jumped into the forest and Sakura and Shikamaru followed.

"Wait up, Naruto!" Sakura called, "Konoha can take care of itself!" she reasoned but the blonde was too focused and faraway to listen to her pleas.

"We're not going fast enough." Naruto pushed his feet hard on the branch. The wood burst into splinters because of the impact but the blonde kept on going, kept on running, kept on going faster that the distance between him and his companions grew larger and wider. "Damnit."

"NARUTO!" Sakura reached out her hand but she was left ignored. Her hand passed by her sight, blocking Naruto from view for the tiniest second. Then she stopped, eyes wide in shock. "Naruto…? N-Naruto…?"

Naruto had disappeared.

"Wh-where are you?" The medic nin's voice was shaking with panic and fear. One of her closest friends had suddenly vanished at a wave of her hand and suddenly, she felt the need to empty her stomach. "N-N-Naruto!"

"Sakura! _Sakura_!" Shikamaru grabbed the other's shoulder, "Snap out of it! We need to get to Konoha fast!" he snapped his fingers. He groaned, mumbling complaints about women and their emotional instabilities.

"B-b-but Naruto, he—"

"You've seen that shinigami girl disappear like that before. I won't be surprised if Naruto could do that as well."

"Then why didn't he take us with him?"

Shikamaru paused then sighed, "I don't know. I don't know why."

- - -

Naruto blinked. A second ago all he could see was an unending path of trees but now…. He looked at his hands and run his palms over his chest. "I must've done that accidentally…." He whispered in one short breath. He wasn't fond of using shinigami skills. It just reminded him of his deaths.

Cerulean eyes scanned the surroundings. The winds were strong but they held around Konoha's gates, creating a large blizzard made private to the village alone. For the first time, Naruto saw Konoha in a blanket of pure white. He frowned. With one last look at the shield of snow, he jumped into the blizzard.

* * *

**OMAKE  
My Love for You**

"How much do you love me?"

It was hard but finally, Uchiha Sasuke had asked the ultimate question.

Naruto broke into a foxy grin, burying his face into the brunette's. "My love for you is deeper than all the oceans and seas." He tightened the arms that encircled the others waist, "Higher than the highest skies." He lifted his head, cerulean eyes meeting charcoal ones, "And wider than all the lands."

Sasuke smiled softly and let his fingers play with blonde locks, the other arm draped lazily over the blonde's back, "Greater than all the ramen in the world then."

For a moment, Naruto froze. Snuggling closer to the Uchiha, he replied, "Now, let's not get carried away."

Uchiha Sasuke stood up, dropping the blonde unceremoniously onto the floor. Then he turned around, walking towards the door.

"Sasuke?" Naruto quickly scrambled up, "Com'n now, how can you let me compare you to ramen?" he wailed loudly as he stretched his arms towards the retreating back of the brunette. "Ramen and Sasuke aren't the same." He clasped his hands together, sending the full force of his pout towards Sasuke.

Sasuke stopped and sighed. He glanced at the blonde over his shoulder then turned to the window to his right. "Look. Your ramen's committing suicide." He pointed.

"WHAT!" Naruto rushed to the window, "MY RAMEN! Hey – wait! There's no ramen here!" he pouted and turned to the Uchiha only to find nothing in his place. "Sasuke? Sasuke?" In panic, he looked out of the window again and saw the distinct figure of the Uchiha. "Sasuke!"

Sasuke shrugged in acknowledgement but continued to walk away, hands tucked into his pockets.

"Come back here, right now!" screamed Naruto, half his body out of the window already, "We haven't finished cuddling with each other yet!"

A few passing people stopped and jerked their heads towards the blonde. They walked away, whispering and giggling to each other.

"Sasuke! SASUKE!"

Uchiha Sasuke never looked back to the apartment. His charcoal eyes melded into the distinct marks and color of the sharingan, scaring any who dared block his way. He was a determined man, determined to eradicate the only thing that stood in the way of him gaining all of Naruto's blonde.

From this day forward, Uchiha Sasuke had one goal: eradicate all the ramen in the world.

* * *

I'm not making Naruto Hokage simply because he deserves it. It's another Demon Realm-related reason XS 

Anyone remember what happened on the second chapter? Naruto disappeared from Sasuke's sight at the Valley of the End. So yeah, it's Hoshi's skill. Naruto learned it XP

Oh, and the omake. Just wanted to make it. Obviously, it has nothing to do with the plot. Just crack. I think it would've fit better if I had put this on Chap XVI but oh well, I only made it recently XDXDXD

Thanks to: **ebonyS2**, **DaisyAnimeluvr**, **blue-genjutsu**, **Seijin**, **Kyorocks34**, **FMA-lover16**, **dragonmaster1703**, **twilights-aura**, **Ashrey**, **tishu**, **RuByMoOn17**, **mademoisele**, **D/H**, **Yue Ryong - Shadowborne**, **meinien**, **Jenniyah**, **Hiei098**, **Anfitrite-aquarius**, **YueYoukaiEclipse**, **some reader** and **rebecca85**

**Seijin**: Yes, every chapter would end in a cliffie because I have cliffie-curse and I love cliffies XS The Akatsuki? Well, I know about Tobi but as of the moment, the focus is on the Red Moon and Orochimaru.

**D/H**: You mean, jinchuuriki? Well, it's a term used to call the holders of the bijuu a.k.a. "tailed beasts" like Kyuubi and Shukaku the Ichibi. The bijuu are what Akatsuki's after and hence, the jinchuuriki as well. I guess it's a mistake of mine to quickly assume that people would know that thing. I'm sorry. But then, I also expected someone to ask if they didn't know and thank you for asking. As for the other questions, they will be answered by the story in time. If I end the story with still so many unanswered questions, then you reserve the right to scold me what you will.

(I'd rather say this in an e-mail but you didn't leave your mail address.)

And I know it's complicated but I like complicated plotting and I don't think I've put plot holes anyway, did I? If you see one, please feel free to inform me. And the complicated plotting is _not_ done because I want the readers to guess around. It'd be fun if they did but it is not something I require of them. One of the things that makes a story different from simple detailing of fact is that there is interaction between the reader and the material being read. A story _allows_ speculation and gives way to the imagination of the reader...which is why fanfics came to existence. Thank you :)


	20. XIX : Firefly

**Invictus**  
By: fruor

**Summary:** Five years ago, Uzumaki Naruto disappeared. The only witness: Uchiha Sasuke. While people fail and stray, Uzumaki Naruto always remained unconquerable. SasuNaru.

**Rating:** T

**Genre:** Romance/Angst

**Pairings:** SasuNaru, KakaIru

**Disclaimer:** I disclaim Naruto and I think Masashi Kishimoto-sensei would proudly claim it.

**Note:** I'm sorry, my dear addicts (can I call you that? XS), for painfully long delay of this chapter. I was terribly stuck in the next one TT but after much indulgence in random yaoi manga (Akizuki Koh and Makoto Tateno have truly become my gods ), I finally kicked myself back into writing. Thanks to **DarkvsLight** for reminding me that the year is almost at an end. It truly made me want to post this within this year! XDXDXD Thanks for waiting everybody! Oh, and merry christmas!

* * *

**XIX. Firefly**

Soft white petals from the heaven's gardens fell elegantly onto the roofs of Konoha. Little children opened their mouths to capture the snowflakes before they hit the ground but their parents grabbed them hurriedly into their own houses and soon the streets of Konoha were barren like a dead town.

Uchiha Sasuke looked at the skies and frowned. It was already getting too cold to stay in a simple shinobi uniform. He pushed his overcoat closer to his mouth and sighed. A transparent cloud floated into the air. Around him, shinobi were being assembled. The Hokage stood in the middle and gave orders.

"We don't have the ability to sense demons so I suggest you take note of _everything_, from the mere whoosh of the wind to the distortion of space." Tsunade swept her hand from one side to another, her voice booming through the empty streets. "Use every means possible to find that demon. And don't, I repeat, _don't_ kill the demon no matter what the circumstances!"

"But if it's a danger to Konoha, shouldn't we kill it?" asked one of the jounin.

Tsunade shook her head sharply. "And risk having a war between humans and demons? I _don't_ think so." She shot a glare at the jounin who quickly back down, "You know as well as I do that we're not strong enough to face demons. The last time Konoha faced one, we ended up sacrificing two lives of our own."

Some of the older jounin and chuunin whispered with each other, asking what other life Konoha sacrificed when all they could remember was the Fourth.

Sasuke tightened his grip on his arms. He glared at them and they eventually zipped their lips. He knew whose the second life was. It was Naruto's and he didn't take lightly the people who insulted the blonde despite Naruto being so indifferent about it.

"GO!!!" And the search started.

The sound of the shinobi jumping from rooftop to rooftop echoed through the empty streets of Konoha. All the while, the skies kept getting darker and snow kept falling that soon, the signs of the ground and the rooftops were soon replaced by a blanket of white so pure that the shinobi stood out like ink blots on a white paper.

Sasuke stopped and looked at the deepening blanket of snow. He wondered how Naruto would react at the snow. Would he play with it like other children if it wasn't caused by a demon? Or would he stay at home and keep warm instead?

A loud shout and a triumphant scream called his attention. He turned to the voice and saw a couple of shinobi throwing kunai at the air. At each projectile, the kunai would hit something in the air and bounce back, leaving a faint ripple of holographic colors over…an invisible creature he couldn't identify.

Sasuke scowled. The order was _not_ to kill the demon and at the rate these reckless shinobi were throwing their knives, the demon would be begging to be killed once it was captured. He gathered chakra to his feet and sped to the shinobi.

Then a high-pitched whistle-like scream echoed through the village, calling the attention of every shinobi in search. It wasn't ear-piercing or horrifying. It almost sounded like the desperate cry of a whale-like child.

The next thing Sasuke knew a strong wave of wind and snow tackled him to the ground. Visibility quickly dropped to zero and he realized, past the howling wind that drowned the screams of the shinobi nearest to the demon, they had just ignited a snowstorm.

He quickly slipped into one of the alleys, blocking himself from the storm momentarily. With a frozen hand, he brushed away the snow on his hair and shoulders then proceeded to rub his hands together in an attempt to regain at least a little of the warmth in his body.

Sasuke flicked a kunai into his hand and put the cold hilt to his lips. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to formulate a good plan to battle against the demon. He wondered how long the demon could keep the storm as strong as this or if the storm would only grow stronger in time. Would Katon work against that snowstorm? Or would a fire attack simply be eaten as though it was nothing? Was he strong enough to make a Katon that could battle the storm?

Sasuke cursed. Making plans was not one of his strengths. Even when he was given infiltration and spy missions, he did not go as far as to make intricate plans that would assure his victory. He relied solely on his confidence of his skills – that if caught, he could simply destroy his enemy.

But not this time.

He knew one thing about the enemy. It was a demon and hence, human standards would not apply to such a creature.

The wind howled above the roofs, between each building and within each alley, carrying a trail of snow as it raced through the village. Sasuke pushed himself from the wall and threw the kunai high up on the wall of the building. He jumped up then used the kunai to propel himself up to the rooftops.

He had no time to worry about possibilities, about things that may and may not happen. All he knew was that he had to protect this village – Naruto's village.

Sasuke ran through a series of seals as he raced through the storm, ignoring the onslaught of snow that slowed him down. He took a deep breath, his cheeks puffing slightly, then his fingers to his mouth, "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu." His charcoal eyes melted into red, sharingan wheels spinning ferociously.

A humongous fireball hurtled at the source of the storm, melting the snowflakes that covered its path, but when Sasuke thought that his jutsu had worked, he noticed the storm grow stronger and his fireball, falter slightly. He cursed under his breath, using his right arm to block his face from the wind.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

A second fireball flew past Sasuke. Sasuke whirled around, his eyes showing a slight surprise that was quickly erased at what he saw. "Kakashi-sensei." He stated in a dull tone and yet, he greeted the jounin with a cocky smirk. "Are you trying to rival my Katon?"

"Is that how you greet your senior?" Kakashi shook his head. He ran a hand through his locks, shaking away the snow that fell on his hair. He sighed and shrugged, "Kids these days. Can't even recognize back-up from rivalry."

A loud explosion interrupted their battle and both jounin turned to the noise. The Katon cleared the snow that surrounded the demon and for a moment, they saw the slithering figure of their enemy. The demon wailed like a whale in song and the wind rushed faster and stronger than before, encasing the demon in a protective hurricane of snow and wind.

"It's getting colder." Kakashi muttered as he crouched down to keep himself balanced from the onslaught of wind. "If this keeps up, we'll be frozen to death." He grabbed a kunai from his pouch and stabbed the wooden tiles of the roof he was crouched upon.

Sasuke hissed and shook his head vigorously. Kakashi was right. If this storm keeps up, everybody would be frozen to death. He knew since he could barely move his arms correctly. He took a deep breath but only ended up coughing out the snow that he accidentally swallowed.

The wheels of his sharingan spun around in an uncontrolled spin. He could barely make out the outline of the demon but the freezing wind rendered him immobile. In a last struggle, he forced his frozen fingers into a series of seals. He took a deep breath through clenched teeth and brought his fingers to his mouth. He gathered all the chakra he could and cast his biggest and most powerful Katon. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu."

A stream of flames formed into a humongous fireball, twice as big as his previous one. It raced through the storm, clearing a path through the wild wind and snow. It flickered as though a hand decided to snuff away the flames.

"Work, damnit." Sasuke muttered as the heat from his attack heated his frozen fingers and melted the snow on his locks. "Just fucking work." But it seemed that luck wasn't siding with him today. His Katon was engulfed in the storm and vanished in one explosion of steam.

"Damn." Again, the brunette cursed. He couldn't do this alone but even with Kakashi's help, he couldn't melt away the storm. Was it even possible to stop the storm? No, he shouldn't think that way. He _needed_ to try and just hope – no, _believe_ – that he'll succeed. That's what Naruto would do.

The storm raged and the demon wailed through the village. Sasuke couldn't move. His limbs were frozen and the layer of chakra he covered his body with was his only source of warmth. He couldn't see anything but snow and wind, and his voice was eaten by the storm. He needed to get away from the demon.

"I'm not gonna die here." Sasuke forced his limbs to move. "Not here, not now."

"Damn right you're not."

"Naruto…?" Sasuke looked up in shock, his sharingan disappearing into charcoal. "What the hell are you doing here?!" As far as he knew, the blonde should be out there looking for the Red Moon. Was this some sort of illusion the gods were giving him before he died? He didn't even believe in gods.

The blonde stared at the center of the storm, his back turned to Sasuke. The blizzard raged on, stronger still, but Naruto stood up straight, unaffected and untouched by the storm. He raised his right hand over his left cheek and brought his palm down in one sharp motion, cutting through the storm as though it was nothing but paper.

A flash of silver caught Sasuke's eyes and a long whining wail reached his ears. Sasuke saw the scaly figure of the demon that created the storm looking helpless and powerless without its little cocoon of wind and snow.

The snow that fell from the heavens vanished as abruptly as it appeared and the only sign left of the blizzard was the thick white blanket of cold that covered the village.

It was warm, infinitely warm, that Sasuke wondered _how_ he could've felt so cold before. He looked around, trying to pinpoint the source of the heat he was feeling. Then, with shocked charcoal eyes, he turned to Naruto. "Naruto, is this heat…from you…?"

Gray clouds were scattered upon the heavens – a sign of downpour – but what fell upon Konoha was neither snow nor rain. Little warm balls of light fell from the skies, fluttering slowly upon Konoha like a cluster of fireflies.

Fireflies were raining upon Konoha.

- - -

Naruto did not capture the demon.

While all the shinobi were recovering from the blizzard, Naruto grabbed the demon by its scaly neck. He seemed to whisper some words to the demon before summoning a Kage Bunshin to take the kit away from Konoha, back to its clan. His kept his gaze at the retreating figure of his Bunshin and the demon kit until it finally disappeared into the trees.

Naruto turned around and greeted Sasuke, who was standing right behind him, with a soft smile. "Hey." He said, "Told you they'd come here first, ne? I didn't expect them to come so soon though, just when I found the bridge a…few hours ago." His smile dropped. He turned his head down, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

Sasuke frowned. What was that reaction just now? Slowly, he turned his head around. There, standing upon Konoha's gates, were a few of Konoha nin. And they were all glaring at Naruto while they fed off the heat from the falling fireflies.

To Konoha, Naruto did not capture the demon. He let it go.

"Why did you let that demon go?!?!?!" screamed one of the shinobi.

"He must be working with them!!!" another joined in.

"Yeah! That's why the demon retreated so quickly!!!" A chorus of agreements and accusation were thrown at the blonde.

Sasuke felt rage build up within him. How could these shinobi say something like that when they themselves are feeding off Naruto's flames? He made a move towards the group of shinobi, his hand hovering over his kunai holster, but Naruto stopped him. "Naruto?! What are you doing?!?! Are you going to let—"

"Sshh." Naruto sharply clamped his hand over Sasuke's mouth. He grinned at the annoyed expression given to him, laughing a little. He turned to the shinobi, glaring at each one of them. "Don't kill the demons' kits and they won't kill yours." He said sharply, "And I don't think _you_ can handle full-grown demons when you're already troubled with a kit." He jerked his head to the direction his Bunshin left, indicating the young demon.

A few of them backed down. Sasuke could hear the vague whispers about Naruto and how he knew that or if they should trust the blonde at all. The Uchiha glared at each of them, promising death to any who would dare to argue with Naruto. It effectively shut them up.

"Let's go." Naruto nodded at Sasuke. They pushed past the shinobi, ignoring every stare they gave at them. As soon as they were past the gates and into Konoha's streets, Naruto glanced at the Uchiha, "We _need_ to prepare for the next wave." He said through clenched teeth.

Sasuke frowned. "The next wave?" He knew that, once the Red Moon has opened, there would be many demons that would face villages – shinobi ones or not – and the snowstorm just signaled the start. "Demons or not, I don't think that they would attack so soon, especially after we let that…_kit_…go unharmed." He flinched when he said the word "kit".

Naruto shook his head vigorously. Then, with a highly annoyed voice that Sasuke didn't expect, he replied, "I never said they were going to _attack_!!! And the kit was _only_ trying to protect himself!!!!" He glared at the Uchiha, the signs of a pout sprouting in his face. "Demons usually attack humans because they're attacked first!!!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. Why was Naruto acting so protective over the Demon Realm? He may have said something wrong but he wasn't accusing anything to anybody. "That still doesn't explain why they would come here."

The blonde stopped, causing Sasuke pause as well. He pointed to the skies, to the soft downpour of fireflies. "The fireflies are _supposed_ to be my last resort, okay?" he turned around in one sharp twist. He looked at the brunette then sighed, "When I use the fireflies, it usually means I'm low on chakra or I'm gravely injured."

"Are you then?" Sasuke asked, a flash of concern passing his charcoal eyes, "Are you low on chakra???"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked a couple of times then shook his head, "No! Of course not! If I _was_ low on chakra, I wouldn't be walking around like this, now would I?" he spread his arms to show that he was fine. "The fireflies were just the only thing I could do to melt away the snow. Anything else would be too powerful or would waste too much time. I wouldn't be able to save the frozen ones and we'd have to handle the deaths."

Sasuke had seen what Naruto could do with his flames and using something like that against Konoha would surely leave the village in ashes. But he still couldn't see what the fireflies have to do with the demons. "It still doesn't explain why the demons would attack so soon."

"Come. _Not_ attack. _Come_." Again, Naruto emphasized, slightly growling at the other. He sighed, shoulders dropping, then turned around so that he was facing once again the path towards the Hokage tower, "They're _my_ people. They're coming here for me. I'm supposed to protect them just like how I'm protecting Konoha." He sighed, "That's why they'll protect me."

Sasuke stared at the blonde's back, not knowing what to say or how to react. He knew that the blonde had an important role in the Demon Realm – having the shinigami overlord at his side was enough proof. "You're doing this because of…the fox…Kyuubi." He finally said after a moment.

Naruto laughed, "At first that was the reason. But now," he looked up, the fireflies falling softly to the ground and melting the snow as it touched them, "Kyuubi or not, I'd protect them. I'd protect the Demon Realm as much I would Konoha."

- - -

Tsunade smiled softly at the sight before her. Pure white blankets of snow covered Konoha. From the skies fell crimson orbs of fire, falling upon the snow in a slow dance of fireflies. The rain of fireflies emitted a soft and calming warmth that spread through the village, the white blankets disappearing into thin air.

The Hokage lifted her hand, spreading it far enough to catch a nearby firefly. The little red ball of light floated softly on her open palm, radiating a soft warmth that tingled her whole arm before fading away into nothing. She closed her hand to a fist then, with one last look at the vanishing snow, she sighed.

"Well, you did quite a good job this time, gaki." She turned around, smirking at the figures behind her who landed upon the cement rooftops with a soft thud. She crossed her arms, leaning on the cool railings of the roof, "So, I suppose you found the gate then?"

Naruto moved towards the Hokage, his hands shoved into his pockets, while his brunette companion stayed in his place. "It was predictable." He shrugged. He went beside Tsunade, leaning on the railings to look over the village. "The snow's almost gone. My fireflies should disappear soon." He grinned, looking at the Hokage over his shoulder, "Wouldn't want to over do it and burn the village or something."

"That or your hoard of demons would do it _for_ you." Tsunade snorted, "I'm surprised they haven't come here yet." She turned her eyes from the blonde fox to the Uchiha, following him with her eyes as he walked casually towards the two of them, stopping near enough to hear everything they were saying and far enough to observe.

"Yes, about them." The blonde straightened up, glancing at Sasuke before focusing back on the Hokage, "The gate is still at the first level. Only the upper class should be able to cross and they won't attack humans unless provoked." He explained, "The generals of the Fire region would be the ones to come and hopefully, only a squad or two."

Tsunade frowned then let out a long sigh. "You'll handle them then."

"It's not like there's any other choice, is there?" Naruto raised his palms, waving them at shoulder length carelessly. "Not unless the council would _finally_ make me Hokage." He chuckled at his words. After all, he didn't want to rule Konoha with fear. He wanted their respect.

"Oh, they will. I've made sure of that." The Hokage smirked triumphantly at the blonde who was looking at her with his mouth gaping like a fish out of water. "I had a chat – yes, a _civil_ one – with them. When worse comes to worst, you'll get the title."

Azure eyes sparkled like crystals as he eyed Tsunade with childlike surprise and interest. He leaned forward like an excited camper listening to a campfire story. "Will they? When? Do we have to wait until something bad happens??? Isn't that a bit stupid?"

At those words, Sasuke smirked, letting cough-like chuckle escape his throat. Naruto sent him a glare that reminded him too much of their genin days. He couldn't help but reply with the same cocky look he did as a child.

"Just be happy that they finally agreed. They're old men anyway. It should be about time they retired." Tsunade replied, smiling at the sudden change of attitude Naruto gained. It never failed to amuse her how a single word such as "Hokage" could make the blonde's mood lighten.

And it amazed her to see Naruto hold onto a childhood dream for so long – more than a decade's time – especially when it included the protection of a village that shunned him instead of sheltering him.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically, "Oh, retirement. Like you? After all, you're almost as old as them." He crouched down a second earlier than the punch sent his way but it hit him effortlessly nonetheless. "You know, I remember that punch being stronger than before. Are you going senile?" his eyes sparkled with mischief.

"Don't push it." Tsunade raised her fist once again and slammed it with her open palm, crackling her knuckles to emphasize her point, "You're not Hokage yet. I can still beat you up and no one would object." She smirked, "Well, except Uchiha, I suppose."

Sasuke remained silent and chose to look away instead, not wanting to receive a questioning look from the blonde.

But Naruto cared less. "Of course he will." He shrugged, "_I_ would." He proudly puffed out his chest, slapping a hand lightly under his collarbone. "Hey, with the council retiring, do I get to choose _my_ council?" he exclaimed enthusiastically.

"No." Tsunade replied, "I will. You're not Hokage yet. I was thinking of getting that Nara kid to do the job. I'm not sure who else to pick." She rested her chin upon her fist, running through the list of her trusted shinobi. Then she looked up, giving the blonde a questioning look, "Where _is_ Nara? He was with you, wasn't he? Along with Haruno."

Naruto paused, blinking a couple of times as though he was suddenly reminded of a birthday he missed. He turned to Konoha, his fireflies slowly disappearing along with the snow, "Know what?" he bit his lip and grinning apologetically at the Hokage, "I _really_ don't know."

Beside the blonde, Uchiha Sasuke let out a sigh and massaged his forehead with a hand. It was hard to believe that Uzumaki Naruto would be Hokage when he couldn't even take note of his team.

- - -

"How much longer until we reach the village?" Sakura said between short breaths. She ducked as she passed a low branch then pushed herself forward on her next landing, gaining a slight increase of speed.

Shikamaru frowned, grumbling to himself in annoyance. How many times would _that_ girl need to ask to believe the answer? "Around an hour, maybe even less." He replied, not bothering to exact his estimation since he had a feeling that the medic nin would ask the question again a few seconds later.

Sakura frowned and made an irritated mumble as she avoided yet another branch. She wished that she could be faster, that she could disappear from this place then magically reappear in Konoha just so she could land a solid hit with her fist on Naruto's head – just to assure herself that the blonde was, indeed, alive and well. But she knew her limits well and knowing that she could do nothing to make her speed increase only made her mood fall.

"Shikamaru, how much longer—" she started but the sudden appearance of a distinct blonde head made her pause and Shikamaru couldn't help but feel relieved – both for the person and himself, that Sakura hadn't asked the same question again…but mostly for himself.

"Naruto!" Sakura called, stumbling to a stop upon one of the thicker branches in the foliage. She barely noticed the wave of coldness that suddenly washed over her as Naruto looked her way, blinking in question.

Blue eyes sparkled in recognition and the blonde stopped. It was only then that Sakura noticed the silver creature in the other's arms that she concluded was the snow demon's kit. "Ah! Sakura-chan!!! You're fine then!" Naruto waved enthusiastically but made no move to come closer to the medic nin.

Sakura frowned. "Of course we're fine!!! The question is, if you and Konoha are fine." She pointed to the demon in the blonde's hands, jumping closer for a better look but as soon as she came close, Naruto jumped away, clutching the demon kit closer to his chest. "Eh? _Naruto_?!" she whined like a child. The way the blonde acted almost felt as though he was afraid of her. Yeah, right.

The blonde winked at her, grinning widely like he did during his first genin years. "Sorry, Sakura-chan." He said in such a carefree and chirpy tone that Sakura felt the need to punch some sense into the blonde, "But I need to get this kit back to his clan as soon as possible, especially since he doesn't do well with humans."

"What about Konoha? What happened?" Sakura called and moved closer to the blonde once again only to have Shikamaru stop her with a stern glare.

Naruto remained smiling as he shifted the unconscious – or was it sleeping? – demon in his hands. "Konoha's good." He shrugged, "You should go back already. I'll just bring this kit to the Valley of the End." He ran his hand over the smooth scales of the unconscious demon, grinning too playfully for Sakura's liking.

The medic nin grumbled and shook her head vigorously, "_We'll_ come with you." She glared at Shikamaru who sighed and shrugged. He did _not_ want to battle about such trivial things with an emotionally fuelled kunoichi. "Right, Shikamaru?" she said through gritted teeth, making it sound more like a threat than a confirmation.

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head with his palm. He looked at Sakura then at Naruto. The blonde seemed to care little about the two of them and was busy whispering incoherent words at the demon kit. He knew Naruto was usually distracted but not to the point that he wouldn't notice his fellow Konoha nin. Something wasn't right about this. "Well…you see…" He started, "…I think it would be better if we just head back to the village."

As the lazy jounin expected, Sakura's face grew red, her anger imminent with her furiously shaking fists. "What are you _saying_?!?!?!" she stomped her foot on the branch she was standing upon, causing a few splinters to scatter around her. "We _can't_ just _leave_ him!!! What if something _bad_ happens?!?!" she pointed sharply at the blonde.

But Naruto had already jumped away from his place to a farther and higher branch in the thick forests of Konoha. He flipped in the air, turning so that he faced Sakura and Shikamaru. "I gotta go now!" he grinned, winking playfully at the horrified face of the medic nin, "I've wasted enough time and I don't want to risk getting poof-ed out by Sakura-chan!"

Sakura moved forward but this time, Shikamaru grabbed her arm. "Don't bother, Sakura. Let's just get back to the village. Let Naruto do what he wants." He said sternly, the tone of his voice clearly showing his annoyance.

"I don't care if _you_ don't want to help Naruto but I'm coming with him no matter what happens!!!" The kunoichi screamed, ignoring for once that nagging voice at the back of her head that kept saying she was acting like a little girl. "So _let me go_!!!" she jerked her head to the blonde who leaped, yet again, onto a farther branch, "_Naruto_!"

Shikamaru grumbled, debating whether or not he should let go of his companion. With a sigh, he tried to reason with the medic nin once again, "It's not that, Sakura. That Naruto isn't—"

"No worries, Sakura-chan!" called the blonde. He stopped on his next landing, glancing at the two over his shoulder. With a casual wave of his hand, he said, "Naruto's in the village, actually." He laughed. He flipped in the air, onto the next branch, keeping his eyes at his supposed teammates, "I'm just a bunshin." With that, the blonde disappeared deeper into the forest.

Sakura stared dumbly at the direction the bunshin went. She dropped her tense shoulders, her mouth hanging wide enough for a bird to pay homage to. "…Kage Bunshin…." She whispered.

"_That's_ why we should let him go." Shikamaru said, releasing his hold on the kunoichi's arm.

The medic nin jumped at the voice. She hesitantly glanced at the jounin, feeling uncomfortable under the other's eyes. "…You knew…?" she asked the question despite knowing how stupid it sounded. Of course the jounin would know one way or another – why would he have said _that_ if he didn't.

Shikamaru shrugged, "Not really." He replied, unaware of how smug he sounded to the medic nin's ears, "I just thought that Naruto wouldn't be the kind of guy to leave Konoha in favor of _that_ demon, especially with his dream to be Hokage. You know he's clingy when it comes to the village."

Sakura felt stupid. She was _supposed_ to know Naruto better than most people and yet she let herself be lost in her panicked emotions. If Tsunade had seen her, she would've been given a punch of her lifetime. She shook her head. It was not the time to feel like a helpless little girl. "So…let's go back to the village? It should be near, ne?"

"Mendokusei…." The jounin mumbled softly to himself. He turned around and made his way through the trees once again, feeling the medic nin follow him shortly afterwards.

After a few minutes, Sakura noticed the trees thin out and she couldn't help but smile, knowing that Konoha was near. It felt oddly warm…warmer than what she knew Konoha was before she left. She felt the need to panic but, as she glimpsed the tall walls that surrounded the village, a soft glowing ball of orange floated over to her face then vanished as it touched her skin.

"…This is…." She stretched out her hand as another stray ball of light went her way. She felt herself smile, not knowing why, "…Naruto…."

- - -

Uzumaki Naruto sat upon Konoha's walls, the side that faced the Valley of the End. One of his legs slung over the walls as his slouched figure watched over the silent forests of Konoha, eyes focused on the dark horizon. The shadows of the forests mingled with the darkness of the night skies that one could barely see the line that separated the land from the heavens.

There was no one upon the walls except the blonde. He had requested it himself, that he alone would guard this side of the village. He didn't want anyone to be involved with the demons, especially someone that wouldn't listen to him. He didn't want anyone to get hurt unnecessarily.

The demons would listen to reason – no, _these_ demons would listen to _his_ reason, no doubt. After all, he is the—

"Alone in a cold night without a coat."

Naruto jerked his head to the voice, nearly slipping over the walls when he saw who it was. He raised a brow and smirked, "And that's the Ice Prince talking." He laughed lightly when the brunette scowled and sent him a glare, "Oh, sorry. Was it Ice _King_ now?"

Sasuke shook his head and chose to ignore the comment instead. He threw the coat in his hands towards the blonde then he quickly rushed forward, in panic, when the blonde started waving his hands in the air to regain balance. He grabbed the other by his shirt and pulled him to his chest, "You idiot. Can't you even catch your coat correctly?!"

"Well, you're the one who threw it!" protested the blonde in half a pout. He pushed the other lightly and put on his coat quite rougher than he intended. "Besides, you're not supposed to be here giving me coats and all. I _control_ fire. I wouldn't be that cold." He turned back to the horizon, leaning slightly towards the brunette.

"And that comes from a chuunin who nearly fell off a wall." Sasuke smirked, catching the playful punch the other gave him before it hit his shoulder. Ignoring the glare the blonde sent his way, he moved to the side, sitting over the walls like Naruto did. "Seen anything yet?"

Naruto shook his head, "Thankfully, no. But they should come soon. At most, tomorrow, nothing more." He shifted so that one of his legs was stretch and the other bended with his arms wrapped around his knee. "You know, you should be in bed or something…at home, maybe?"

"And wait until your apartment gets old or you get asked for the rent?" Sasuke huffed slightly and shook his head. He moved closer to the blonde, thankful that the other made no move to go away or show any signs of discomfort.

"Then you're moving with me, right?" The blonde nodded sharply, leaning forward so that his face met Sasuke's straight. "When are you going to move your stuff, then? Tomorrow? The day after tomorrow? I'll help!" He flashed his trademark foxy grin, "Then can I have the Uchiha compounds???"

Sasuke coughed roughly, sending an annoyed glare at the blonde. Just when he thought that Naruto was focused on having him move in with him, the blonde goes and ruins the moment with such an out-of-the-blue statement. "No, you can't have the compounds." He stated sharply, "And I'll move as soon as there's time." He looked away as he said this.

Naruto fell back to his place, "I guess I really can't…but I can borrow it, okay?"

"What will you do with such a place anyway?" Sasuke couldn't help but feel irritated. He was happy that the blonde wanted him to move in with him but what was all the fuss about the Uchiha compounds? Surely, Naruto wouldn't offer him a place simply to gain access to them.

"Many things, things related to the Demon Realm. I can't really use Konoha for that and I need to have constant contact with them, you know. I don't want to abuse Hoshi too much." The blonde explained, flashing such a bright smile at the Uchiha that Sasuke couldn't help but forget all his previous doubts.

The two remained silent afterwards; Naruto drawing his knees close to his chest and kicking his feet together, eyes focused on his surroundings; Sasuke glancing from Naruto, the horizon and the sprinkle of stars that decorated the heavens hidden slightly by wispy clouds. Then Naruto took a breath and sighed.

Sasuke focused on the blonde. He pursed his lips into a solid line, eyebrows furrowing slightly in thought. "Naruto," he started, "How was…how was the Demon Realm?" He hoped that the silence that followed his question was because of thought not of awkwardness.

Naruto blinked a couple of times, glanced at Sasuke and turned back to his watch. He stretched his legs and placed his upside down palms at his sides, "The Demon Realm…well…it was a hard place. Everything revolved around their rules. The more you know about them, the better you'd be off…meaning the less you'd be killed. Obviously, I didn't know anything about that when I first came there." He scowled at the memory, "But Hoshi was there, found me and taught me all." He shrugged, "And Kyuubi helped as well."

Sasuke stared, watching every little thing the other did. He didn't want to offend Naruto and he knew by now that the blonde was very protective of the Demon Realm, much like he did to Konoha. But with what he heard, all he could see was that the Demon Realm had hurt the blonde much like Konoha did.

Was Naruto some kind of masochist that loved to get hurt? Hopefully not. He wouldn't want Naruto to get hurt even if the blonde wanted it to happen.

"But it was good." Naruto smiled softly at the Uchiha, "The demons had a thing against humans, especially the Fire region, but it didn't matter as long as I could and would help. And they _cared_." He said in an almost tearful voice, "They cared even though I told them not to, even though I never asked for it. And humans say they're bad but…" He grinned brightly, "…they're the best family I've ever had."

Sasuke nodded dumbly, "I see…." He wondered vaguely how that would've felt, finding a family when you've never had one in the first place. "Fire region." He repeated, deciding not to focus on the family issue, "Regions of the Demon Realm?"

"Ah, yeah. It's kinda like this world." Naruto pressed a finger to his lips, tapping softly in thought, "There are five regions actually: Earth of the north, Fire of the east, Water of the south, Wind of the west and the Neutral ground. That one's located in the middle. They side with the Underworld. Oh, and each region has a lord that rules over them."

Sasuke repeated the regions in his mind. "Then the Fire region is the one that's connected to your strength, is it?"

"Oh? You remember that?" Naruto laughed, "Yep, it is. A bit of a hassle, really, especially with their animosity towards Konoha. You wouldn't _believe_ how much they blame on this village. They probably think I've been murdered or something." He flapped a hand, waving the silly suggestion away.

But Sasuke didn't seem to hear the rest of the blonde's response. His eyes were focused on the space between his head and his knees in deep thought.

"_Kyuubi was only a soul…but he was always warm."_

He remembered those words quite clearly. It had piqued his interest with demon souls. Could they have the ability to radiate heat or are they simply strong enough to do so? But Naruto had mentioned the demon fox helping him – _teaching_ him. "Naruto." He repeated the other's name, "Kyuubi came from the Fire region, didn't he?"

"Why yes." The blonde replied as though it was nothing important, "And Shuukaku's of the Wind region. The bijuu are usually placed in similar regions to the Demon Realm. Not unless they're from Neutral ground." He shrugged and watched Sasuke remained impassive, as though he hadn't heard any of his words.

Sasuke could almost grasp it, he knew. He was getting somewhere. The pieces of Naruto's puzzle weren't on its way to completion but he was finally seeing a part of it.

"…_Kyuubi was the icon of fire."_

Was. The fox demon was already gone so he was not the icon of fire anymore. Icon of fire. Why did Naruto call Kyuubi the icon of fire in the first place? "Tell me, Kyuubi…what was he to the Fire region?" he focused charcoal orbs into deep blue, "Was he the Fire Lord?"

Naruto blinked. It was during these moments that he wished he could read minds but, despite knowing a few shinigami skills, he wasn't strong enough or skilled enough to read minds like a certain shinigami overlord. He could try but Sasuke was a man filled with mental walls and shinigami skills weren't something to be messed with. A simple mistake would kill him and he couldn't die now. "Yeah, he was. What of it?"

"_But I have…the duties he left behind."_

Sasuke froze, his eyes widening in realization. How could he have not noticed this before? Naruto was practically spelling it out for him (subconsciously or not) and here he was calling himself a shinobi, a jounin at that. He slammed his forehead onto his open palms, muttering softly to himself.

"Sasuke? Hey, are you okay???" Naruto leaned forward, trying to catch the muffled words the brunette whispered to himself. He frowned. He was supposed to be watching out for the Fire region's demons but how can he when Sasuke was acting like this?

Finally, Sasuke looked up, staring into the horizon with focused eyes. He shifted sideways so that he was facing Naruto and placed his hands on the blonde's shoulders. "Naruto." He repeated the name for the umpteenth time that day, "Are you the Fire Lord?"

He expected Naruto to deny the suggestion strongly or to even just look away and avoid the subject but no, the blonde had other plans for this. He was neither angry nor shocked. Instead, he let out half a laugh and smiled such a reassuring smile that Sasuke held his breath.

"That's right, Sasuke. How did you know?"

A long sigh escaped the Uchiha's lips and he pulled the other's shoulders closer until it hit his chest. He wrapped his arms around the blonde who simply let the brunette do what he wanted, watching with curious eyes. Locked in a tight hug, Sasuke buried his into the blonde's hair, blonde locks tickling his face as he rested his chin on the crook of the other's neck.

That smile was meant to reassure him but all it did was made him worry, worry that Naruto ever needed to give him such a smile in the first place.

* * *

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